
Oass 



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59th Congress, ) SENATE. J Document 

1st Session. f | No. 98. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



LETTER ^^ 

FROM J*3 S' 

THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR, 

TRANSMITTINC, 

PURSUANT TO SENATE RESOLUTION No. 15, OF DECEMBER 7, 
1905, COPIES OF CERTAIN REPORTS RELATING TO THE ALAS- 
KAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



DECEMBEfi 3(1, 1905. — Referred to the Coniuiittee on Territories and ordered to be 

printed. 



Dep.\ktment of Commerce and Labor, 

Office of the Secretary. 

Wco^hington^ Dcceiuher 19, lOOo. 
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of copy of Senate 
Resolution No. 15, Fifty-ninth Congress, first session, directing me to 
furnish for the information of the Senate copies of certain reports 
•elating to the Alaskan seal fisheries. 

In response thereto I have the honor to transmit herewith, as 

equested in said resolution, copies of all the reports of the agent in 

harge of the seal fisheries of Alaska made by that agent during the 

3ars 1904 and 1905, inclusive, in obedience to the directions of this 

epartment dated Ma}^ 1, 1904, and subsequently as they have been 

med, together with copies of all inclosures which accompanied said 

ports. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the copy 

Exhibit No. 10, of the annual report of 1904, is not an exact copy 

yjx the document on file in this Department, the figures as to the cost 

of dwellings and goods on hand having been omitted for the reason 

that they were given to the Department in confidence and with the 

understanding that they would not be made public by the Department. 

They have therefore been omitted from the copy of Exhibit No. 10 

furnished herewith. 

The reports herewith transmitted bear date, respectively, June 7, 
1904, August 12, 1904; September 7, 1904: June 17, 1905, and Octo- 
ber m, 1905. 

Respectfully, V. H. Metcalf, 

Seerefarij. 
The President of the Senate. 



2 ALASKAN SEAL FISIIKKIKS. , n^f 

No. 1. ^ \^V 

PRELIMINARY REPORT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND 
LABOR, 1904, OF W. I. LEMBKEY. AGENT ALASKAN SEAL 
FISHERIES. 

Okikk of Spkoial A(4Ent Treasury Department, 

•sy. J*an/ Ixl,n}(l, Ala da, Jiuw 7, 190 1^. 

Sir: I luive to report my arrival here on the Htli instant, after a stay 
of a few hours on St. (Teorg"e, 

While badly handicapped for time, I found opportunity on the latter 
island to explain to Major Clark the novel features involved in the 
current instructions and to furnish him with extracts from such letters 
from 3'ou as relate to the weight of skins, the marking of bachelors, 
and the importance of obtaining full statistics on St. George during- 
the coming summer. Mr. Judge and nu'self also counted the bulls on 
two rookeries on St. George during our stay there. 

I found the record of seals on St. (jeorge to be as follows: 

Left over, September 1, 1903 1 

Food killings, October 19, 1903, to May 31, 1904 497 

Killino; by lessee, June 1, 1904 26 

Total 524 

Average weight, (ji pounds. 

Foxes killed on St. George, winter of 15>03-4: 

Blues 471 

Whites 15 

Total 486- 

The total native population on St. George on my arriv^al was 94. 
There have been 5 V>irths and 3 deaths during- the current tiscal year, 
an increase of 2. 

Count of seals on St. George, June 5, 1904: 

North Rookery 102 bulls, 8 immature bulls, 7 bulls in the 

surf not landed, and 10 bachelors. 
Staraya Artel 30 bulls, 18 bachelors, 1 half bull. 

On June 10, 1903, there were: 

North Kookery 109 bulls. 8 holustiaki. 

Staraya Artel 32 bulls, 20 holustiaki. 

Our counts on St. George w^ould lead us to believe that little or no 
diminution will appear in the number of breeding bulls. Later 
developments may change this opinion, however. 

Since our arrival j^esterday we have counted the following seals on 
St. Paul: 

Reef ] 79 bulls and 42 bulls not stationed. 

Ardiguen 9 bulls. 

Gorbatch Cliff 10 bulls, 3 bulls not stationed. 

Gorbatch 104 bulls and 11 bulls not stationed. 

Ketovi 36 bulls and 11 bulls not stationed. 

Amphitheatre 5 bulls and 2 bulls not stationed. 

Lukanin .- 41 bulls and 5 bulls not stationed. 

Lagoon 16 bulls and 9 bulls not stationed. 

Tolstoi Cliff .30 bulls and 2 bulls not stationed. 

Tolstoi 1 20 bulls and 4 bulls not stationed. 



1.^ lAM IQnr^ 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 6 

On June 10, 19CK^, the following counts were made: 

Gorbatch Cliffs 15 bulls. 

Gorbatch 113 bulls. 

Ardiguen 13 bulls. 

Ketovi 53 bulls. 

Amphitheater 6 bulls, 3 half bulls. 

Lukanin 51 bulls, 3 half bulls. 

It is probable that there will be a decrease noted in the breeding- 
bulls on St. Paul, but, perhaps, in a smaller degree than noted last 
year. 

There were killed for food on St. Paul last wintei" 2,065 seals, and 
this spring, for quota, 179. These, with 312 on hand from last year, 
make a total of 2,556 in the salt house. 

Last winter 15 blue and 5 white foxes were taken on St. Paul. 
There will be no foxing there the ensuing winter. 

I regret the lack of time necessary to make a more complete state- 
ment. I have delayed this until within an hour of the ship's sail- 
ing in order that 1 might include additional seal data which Mr. Judge 
has been collecting. Mr. Chichester will be on St. George for the 
summer, and I have informed him thoroug"hly regarding* the neces- 
sity for good work on St. George. 

With the promise of a good season's work, I am, believe me. 
Very trul}', yours, 

. I W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent, Seal fdavuis. 

Mr. F. H. Hitchcock, 

Chief Clerli\ DeparUnent of Coiinneree and Lab<^r. 



No. 2. 

ANNUAL REPORT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR, 
1904, OF W. I. LEMBKEY, AGENT ALASKAN SEAL FISHERLES. 

Office of Agent in Charge Seal Fisheries, 

St. Paul Island, Alaslri, August m, 190.1^. 
Dear Sir: 1 have to make the following summarized report of the 
condition of afi'airs on the seal islands of Alaska during the sealing 
season ended July 31, 1904: 

The following number of seals was killed during the season by the 
lessee on its quota: 

St. Paul 8, 732 

St. George 1, 500 

Total 10, 232 

The following number of seals was killed for food before and after 
the regular sealing season, or left on hand from previous seasons: 

St. Paul 2, 545 

St. George 496 

Total 3, 041 

The figures for St. Paul include 140 skins taken for food on August 
9, 1904. 



4 ALASKAN SEAL FISHEKIKS. 

The following- shipniont of skins will In' mud*' hv llic coiiipunN' tlii.s 
fall: 

St. Paul 11, i;{2 

St. Cieorge ■. 1, 99<) 

Total 13, 128 

The lessee'.s quota of 15,000 .skins was not tilled, for the rejison that 
a sufficient number of seals of proper size was not present. 
The following number of bachelors was branded this spring" 



Island. 


2-year-old8. 


3-year-olds. 


4-year-olds. 


St. Paul 




800 
200 


800 

200 


."iO 


St. George 










Total 


1,000 


1,000 


50 









Branding" was completed on St. Paul on June 25 and on St. George 
July 2. 

The number of breeding bulls with harems and idle bulls found this 
summer on both islands was as follows: 





Island. 


Harems. 


Idle. 


Total. 


St Paul 




1,790 
312 


232 
62 


2,022 




374 








Total 


2, 102 


294 


2, 39t; 







The counts of pups on both islands at the end of the season of 1904, 
with a compari.son of the counts for the season of 1903, follow: 



IslaiKl. 


1904. 


1903. 


Decreasf. 


St. Paul ^ 


21,309 
13,583 ! 


24,801 
14,647 


3,492 


St. George 


1,064 




. 



The census of breeding cows and of bulls, breeding and idle, on the 
two islands, for the seasons of 1903 and 1904, follows: 



Island. 


Bulls. 






Cows. 




1903. 


1904. 


Decrease. 


1903. 


1904. 


Decrease. 


St. Paul 

St. George 


2.402 
«415 


2,022 
374 


382 
41 


82, 649 
14,647 


74,002 
13,583 


8,647 
1,064 






Total 




2,396 


423 


97,296 


87,585 


9,711 










a Est 


imated. 











The average harem during the past season (1904) was 39.83, as com- 
pared with 40.29 during the season of 1903. The lessening of the 
average harem is caused by the fact that the decrease in breeding cows 
during the interval between the seasons of 1903-4 was greater than the 
decrease in bulls. 



11 JAN mc, 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 5 

On the area on which pups were counted on St. Paul Island, the 
decrease in harems was found to be 13.99 per cent, while the decrease 
in pups or breedifig cows was 14.9 per cent. 

During the season of 190-4 there occurred in the various drives of 
the season, and, including the food drive on the 9th of August, 641 
large rejections, 4,794 small rejections, and 1,888 rejections of branded 
seals. During the same period in 1903 the rejections were as follows: 
912 large and 1,185 small. The increase in rejections from drives in 
1904 was the result of the regulations restricting the killing to a mini- 
mum of 5i pounds. 

All skins taken on St. George during the sealing season, as reported 
by Agent Clark, were weighed. On St. Paul, all but 145 skins taken 
during the sealing season were weighed, the latter number being over- 
looked b3'the natives who gathered up the skins on the field for weigh- 
ing. The bulk of the company's catch is skins of 2-year-olds, but a 
fair number of 3-year-olds, also, were taken. No yearlings were 
included in the catch, and but few were seen in the drives. 

One yearling was killed b}' me during the summer to determine the 
weight of that class of skins. The entire animal, a female, weighed 
33 pounds, and its pelt weighed 3i pounds. 

A detailed report of the season's work will be made as soon as ]>i"a('- 
ticable after the departure of the company's vessel. ' 

Very truly, yours, 

W. I. Lembkey, 
Agent in Charge Seal Fisheries. 

Mr. F. H. Hitchcock, 

Chief CJerl\ Departiriertt of Comnu'rce and Lahoi-. 



No. 3. 

Annual Report to Department of Commerce and Labor, 1904, of W. I. 
Lembkey, Agent Alaskan Seal Fisheries. 

St. Pall Isla'xd, Alaska, 

Sepiemher 7, 19Ul^. 
Dear Sir: 1 ha\e to submit the following report of the operations 
on the seal islan'ds of Alaska during the year ended August 1, 1904: 

ARRIVAL AT ISLANDS. 

In company with Assistant Agent James fhidge. on the lessee's 
steamer If" //. Kruger^ sailing from San Francisco May 24, 1904, I 
reached St. George Island June 5 and St. Paul Island the following 
morning, June 6. Agent Chichester, who had passed the preceding 
winter on St. Paul, was requested to take passage for St. George, there 
to assist Agent Clark in the season's work. At the close of the summer 
both these gentlemen took passage on the company's steamer Kruger 
for San Francisco en route for their homes. Agent Judge remained 
with me on St. Paul during the summer and on August 14 took passage 
on the Kruger for St. George, where he will be in charge during the 
ensuine- winter. 



ALASKAN SKAL FISHERIES. 



HItAXDINC OF HACIIELOKS. 



'riic inarkiiio- of the luuiiber of young male seals requiivd by the 
DepartiiuMifs instructions occupied my attention at once upon arrival 
at the ishmds. 

These instructions required the markino- and ndeasino' of 1,000 
3-year-old males and 1,000 '2-year-old males, in tlu^ proportion of 800 
of each class from St. Paul and 200 of each from St. (Teoroe. Because 
of statements made last winter before the Ways and Means Committee 
and ditlerino- analyses of the classification of sizes of Pribilof Islands' 
seal skins exposed for sale in London last year, some doubt existed 
in my mind whether a greater number of 3-year-old males existed 
than were required to be marked and released. In order to secure the 
number of 3-year-old seals to be reserved on St. Paul, therefore, I 
considered it necessary to obtain them before the company began to 
kill for its quota. 

I therefore notified the representative of the company, Mr. Redpath, 
that I would be obliged to withhold permission to drive for skins until 
drives had been made from the several hauling grounds and the requi- 
site number of each class of bachelors obtained and marked. 

1 was required to take this action also from the fact that by the 
Department''s instructions the seals so to be marked were to be of the 
best animals appearing in the first drives of the season. As the first 
seals to reach the hauling grounds are always the strongest and finest 
in appearance, it was obvious that the seals to be branded should be 
from this class. 

DRIVES FOK BKANDINC. 

The drives for branding were made as expeditiously as the presence 
of seals on the hauling grounds justified. On June 11 a small drive 
was secured from the reef, from which were branded 15 2-3'ear-olds: 
63 3-year-olds, and 5 4-year-olds. On June 16 another drive from the 
same rookery was made, from which 188 2-year-olds and 273 3-year- 
olds were branded, or a total from that rookery of 54A: seals, including 
those branded previously — 203 twos, 336 threes, and 5 fours. As that 
was considered a sufficient number to be branded from the reef the 
l)randing apparatus' was brought to the village. 

Our next object was to brand at Zapadni, and to take the forges 
there in boats. As the landings continued too rough to take boats to 
that point it was determined, for the sake of expedition, to bring what 
seals could be found on the hauling ground at Zapadni overland as near 
to the village as possible, and to brand them there. Accordingly, drivers 
were sent overland on the evening of .June 20 to Zapadni, from which 
place they made a drive and brought it during the night to the head 
of the lagoon, about a mile from the village, and on the morning of 
-June 21 the gang was taken there on foot, the forges being hauled l)y 
a team and wagon ])elonging to the company. As the result of a 
morning's work 27-1: 2-year-olds and 130 3-year-olds were branded from 
Zapadni. 

While the main party was working on these seals, a few drivers 
were sent to Tolstoi hauling ground near by, and a small drive secured 
from that rookery. They were kept seperate from the Zapadni seals. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 7 

and after the latter were branded, work on the Tolstoi seals was 
be^un. But a heav}' rain began to fall a])out this time, and after 
branding" 31 3-year-olds and 8 3-year-olds from Tolstoi the seals' fur 
became so saturated with w'ater that the hot irons made no impression 
on it. We accordingly had to cease branding, and what remained of 
the Tolstoi drive of a killable size were knocked down and skinned. 
The branding apparatus and the skins taken, 33 in number, were left 
on the field, and brought in next day b}" the company's team. 

The only remaining hauling ground on the island was Northeast 
Point, and it was determined to secure the remainder of our quota of 
branded seal from that place. We were delayed in so doing by the 
rough weather, which made it impossible to use our boats to take up 
the branding outfit and the natives, and especially by the reports from 
the watchmen that only a meager suppl}' of seals was there. Mr. 
Redpath, the company's agent, objected to delaying the company's 
business of taking seals at the point by the branding, but I had no 
other alternative, being still short over 300 seals of the quota of 800 
3-year-olds. He then offered the use of the teams to take the gear to 
the point, hoping thereby to expedite the work of the company by 
disposing of the branding. 

On June 22 the watchmen at Northeast Point reported only 200 seals 
there. As we needed over 600 it was thought best to defer imtil more 
seals had hauled up. On June 23 only 200 were reported present. 
On June 24 no increase was reported, but it was determined not to 
wait longer and to go up and get what was there and to make another 
■drive at that place if necessary to fill the branding quota. 

On June 24, therefore, with three teanis, a start was made to North- 
east Point, and early the following morning a drive was secured. I 
was agreeably surprised to find nearly 1,000 seals in the drive instead 
of only the 200 reported by the watchmen. 

On June 25 we commenced branding at 7.30 in the morning. It 
being a Avarm, dry day, by 10 a. m. the seals were so warm as to show 
■exhaustion and to make it decidedly unwivse to work them further. 
They accordingly were turned into a small lake to cool off and kept 
there until 3 p. m., when they were driven out. By 4 p. m. they were 
dry enough to be branded, and the work commenced and continued 
until 7 p. m., Avhen a total of 292 2-year-olds and 326 3-year-olds had 
been branded, filling the quota of 800 of each class for this island. As 
an experiment, 45 4-year-olds were branded and 2 7-year-old bulls 
from those of that class found in the drive. The necks of the bulls 
were so large in proportion to the size of their heads that much trouble 
was experienced in keeping the snares from slipping over their heads; 
but they w^ere finally secured and branded, just to show what the gang- 
could do. The 4-year-olds were branded because they were of killaltle 
size and might, if not marked, be inadvertently clubbed during the 
season. 

After finishing brandino- 1 notified Mr. Allis, one of the company's 
agents, that I had branded the number of seals required of this island 
by the Department, and that 1 would, therefore, turn over the business 
to the company to get what skins they could for their quota. As a 
small number of seals was still left in the drive after branding all that 
were necessary, such as were of killable size were clubbed and skinned 



8 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



and tlio polts loft on the gTouiid till luoniino-, to l)c then weighed and 
salted, it lieing too late to do any more \voi"k that day. 

The next inornint)' it was found that 141 skins had l)een secured the 
previous evening. 

The tabulated result of the branding operations on St. Paul follows: 



Date. 




Rookery. 




2 years. 


3 years. 


4 years. 


1904. 


Reef 




15 
188 
274 

31 
292 


63 

273 

130 

8 

326 




16 


do 




^.<. 




21 






>^ 




21 


Tolstoi 








25 


Northeast Point 

Total 


45 




800 


800 


.50 









METHODS USED IN BRANDING. 

The method of driving bachelors for l)ianding way similar to that 
used in driving for skins. When the drive reached the appointed place 
small pods were successively cut out, as in clubbing. The detached 
pod was surrounded by men provided with poles about 7 feet long, at 
the end of which was a loop of lope, with both ends fastened to the 
pole. This noose of rope was passed over the head of the animal and 
enough turns taken to twist it tight around the seal's neck. The 
animal was then dragged by means of the noose and pole away from 
the pod and its head held down securely by a long pole or yoke laid 
across its neck, the yoke held down by a man on either end. On many 
occasions, when the animal was especially large or vigorous, it was 
further secured Iw having its hind flippers grasped and held oti' the 
ground by an extra man, who also put a foot on either foreflipper, 
rendering the seal incapable of twisting its head clear from the yoke. 

The animal was then ready for branding, which was done b}' means 
of a red-hot iron bar, heated in a forge, passed quickly between the 
e3"es to the l^ack of the head, and then across the head forward of the 
ears, at right angles to the tirst brand, the whole mark resembling a 
letter T. 

BRANDING ON ST. GEORCiE. 

On St. George, as reported by Agent Clark, branding was begun on 
June 7, when a drive of 17 seals was secured, out of which eight 3-year- 
olds and one 2-year-old were branded. From this date the branding was 
continued by selections made from the drives. Hot irons were used. 
On the 21st of June rain was falling, rendering the use of the hot irons 
impossible. Some sheep shears in the possession of the company were 
then tried for clipping the hair and fur, and, according to Major 
Clark, it was found that an eliecti\'e mark could be made with the 
shears even more conspicuous than that made with the hot \ron. It 
was found further that by the use of the shears the work of brand- 
ing need not be delayed for wet weather, as they could be used with 
equal facility on wet as on dry seals. The ])randing on St. George 
subsequent to .lune 21 therefore was done with shears. The entire 
(|uota on St. George of 200 2-year-oIds and 200 ^-year-olds was 
obtained bv Julv 2. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 9' 

The list of brandings on th'at island as reported to me follows: 





Date. 


3-year olds. 


2-year olds. 




8 
4 
45 
25 
122 


1 




13^ 




21 


June 21 


13 


June 23 


41 


June 28 . . 


68 


July 2 - - 




43 










Total 


204 


200' 







DRIVES DURING BRANDING. 

During the period necessary to obtain the quota of branded seals, 
two small drives were made from Tolstoi to furnish food for the natives, 
from which 119 skins were secured. On June 20, having obtained all 
the seals it was thought advisable to brand from the reef, the company 
was authorized to make a drive for skins from that rookery, from which 
247 skins were taken. The meat from the carcasses of seals killed on 
this drive was a welcome addition to the natives' supply of fresh meat, 
of which the}^ had had but little since the vessel arrived. 

DRIVES MADE BY THE COMPANY. 

As soon as branding was finished the company began killing for 
skins, and killed as often during the summer as the numbers of bache- 
lors on the hauling grounds would justify. 

Since the first of June, 1904, up to and including July 31 following, 
33 killings of bachelors were made, including the two on June 21 and 
25 from drives made for branding. Of these June killings, however, 
one was made on Sea Lion Rock on June 4 by the Government ofli- 
cer to furnish food for the natives. As the companj^ by its contract 
is not allowed to drive from that place, and as the two drives for 
branding mentioned were made also by direction of the Government 
agent, and can not, in justice, be charged to the company, it may be 
said that the company made 30 drives for skins on St. Paul during the 
period from June 1 to July 31. 

The company's killing season, however, actuall}' did not commence 
on St. Paul until after June 25, on which date branding was finished. 

NUMBER OF FOOD DRIVES BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS. 

During the fall of 1903 and spring of 1904, 13 drives were made by 
the Government agent on St. Paul, to supply food for the natives and 
the foxes. Adding to these the two killings from drives made for 
branding, and one drive made on August 9. for food during the stagey 
season, and a total is had of 16 drives under the management of the 
Government ofiicers on St. Paul. 

NUMBER OF SKINS TAKEN. 

During the drives on St. Paul by Government agents 2,580 skins 
were taken. During the drives made by the company 8,379 skins were 



10 ALASKAN SKAL FISHP:RIES. 

taken, or a total of 10,U65 skins taken \m St. Paul since the close of 
the last season. Adding to this , number 812 skins left on hand from 
previous seasons gives a final total of 11,277 skins in salt on arrival of 
the company's vessel on August 11. 1!>04. 

Of these 11,1?>2 skins were shipped from St. Paul Island, as evi- 
denced l)v the shipping receipt foi'warded in my letter of August 13. 
This would leave 145 skins in the salt house to be applied toward the 
catch of next season. 

On St. George 1 skin was left in the salt house from the preced- 
ing season. From October 19, 1903, to May 31, 1904, there were 15 
drives made for food by tlie Government agents, exclusive of 5 kill- 
ings of 2 skins each by the watchmen at Zapadni. A total of 496 skins 
was thus secured, including the 1 skin left over. From June 1 to July 
31, 1904, 22 drives were made by the company for skins, excluding 
one killing of 2 seals made at Zapadni for watchmen's food. A total of 
1,500 skins was secured during the period allowed the company to kill. 
At the end of the season 1,996 skins were in salt on St. George, all of 
which were shipped by the lessee toward its quota of 2,000 for that 
island. 

WEIGHTS OF SKINS. 

On St. Paul Island all skins taken in every killing made since my 
arrival there this spring were weighed on the scales provided by the 
Department, with the exception of 145 skins overlooked by the natives 
in gathering up the skins on the tield for the purpose of weighing. 
A detailed summarv of the weights for St. Paul is appended, marked 
"Exhibit 4." 

On St. George, as reported by Agent Clark, all skins taken after 
the 1st of June last, w^ere weighed. His list of weights, marked 
'"' Exhibit 16, " is attached also. 

Agent Clark reports that the greatest care was exercised in keeping 
the weights within the limits specified l)v the Department. A series 
of measurements was made by Mr. Chichestei", showing the average 
length of a seal the skin of which weighed a given number of pounds. 
When doubt arose on St. George as to the eligibility of an animal, it 
was hauled out of the drive by a snare, measured, and killed or rejected 
as the measurement showed the skin to be within the acceptable class 
or otherwise. Notwithstanding these precautions, over 5 per cent of 
the skins taken on St. George, as reported to me by Agent Clark, were 
under the limit of 5^ pounds. 

On St. Paul, where sometimes two-thirds as many seals were handled 
in one day as were killed on St. George during the whole summer, it 
was not feasible to measure seals or to delay the killing while the seal 
in question was under debate. Dependence was had solely in the 
judgment of the clubbers to select seals having skins over 5^ pounds. 
Of the 8,408 skins weighed on St. Paul, 634, or 7 per cent, were under' 
5^ pounds. These include the road skins, or skins of seals becoming 
exhausted on the drive and clubbed by the drivers before death in 
order to save the skins from overheating. They include also seals 
struck accidentally in clubbing and despatched to avoid the risk of the 
animal's djnng at sea from the effects of the chance ]>low. 

Of the 519 skins taken on St. Paul between 5 and 5^ pounds it may 
be said that they represent the impossibility of accurately determining 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERrES. 11 

in every instaiu'e the weig'ht of a skin on a live seal to within a frae- 
tion of a pound. 

Note should betaken also of the diHerent methods of skinnino- prac- 
ticed bv the native workmen. Some skinners shave the skin to the 
very pelt, leaving- no blubl)er adhering-. Others leave more or less 
blubber on the skin, requiring, in some cases, the skin to be '"'blub- 
bered'"' or refllensed. A diflerence in weight of from an ounce to "2 
pounds thus can l)e made in skinning. A clean 5-poun(l skin shows 
underweight, but had half a pound of blubber been left on it it would 
have been within the limit and its appearance remained unaltered. 

WET SKINS. 

The weight of a sealskin depends largely ui)on the amount of mois- 
ture present at the time of killing. A skin will a))sorb from half a 
pound to a pound of water. If the killing- is done in a wet place, or in 
wet grass with the rain falling, or if the animals are driven through 
water to cool them oti' the skins will retain enough moisture to make 
the weights greater than if dry. On days when absolutely dry seals 
are killed the weights of the same-sized skins will be lighter than on 
other days when moisture is present and the skins become wet. 

MEASURES TO AVOID UNDEKSIZED SKINS. 

While I was cognizant of the fact that some skins, of necessity, must 
appear in the killings that were outside the prescribed limits, 3'et I 
thought it best, for a i)roper observance of the instructions, to bring- 
to the notice of the clubbers on every killing the existence of the regu- 
lations, and to request caution to avoid killing too small or too large 
seals. 

On Jime 29. owing to the presence of small skins in the catch, I had 
a conference with the company's general agent, Mr. Kedpath, in which 
1 asked for instructions to the clubbers enjoining particular care in 
clubbing to avoid the killing of these smaller animals. These instruc- 
tions were given cheerfully and in my presence. On July 19, subse- 
quent to a drive made that day from the reef and Gorbatch, when 76 
per cent of the whole number of seals driven were killed, and 11: per 
cent of the skins w'ere either under or over the prescribed weights, I 
had another conference with Mr. Kedpath. I showed him the table 
of weights compiled from those taken during the various drives made 
this summer, and called his attention to the number of undersized 
skins weighed. I stated that I was forced to protest against the pres- 
ence of these skins in the killings, and had it in mind to make the pro- 
test in writing in order that a record of my action may be made. Mr. 
Redpath, in reply, expressed his surprise that that number of small 
skins was present, and assured me that thereafter the greatest care in 
clubbing would be exercised. 

The next morning, in the killing fi'om Zapadni. Mr. Redpath made 
a short but forceful speech to the clubbers, cautioning them to avoid 
killing any undersized seals at all hazards, and instructing them, if 
there was any doubt as to the size of an animal, to allow the seal to 
escape. I have no hesitancy in stating that on that and subsequent 



12 ALASKAN SEAL FLSHKKIKS. 

killing.s seals wcic i-cleused which would have furnished 5i^-pouiKl 
pelts. 

On the 25th of, July I had another talk with Mr. Redpath on the 
occasion of the api)earanoe of 28 undersized skins in the killinjj- from 
Zapadni. On this date I furnished him with a detailed statement of 
the weights of skins taken since our conference of the 19th. He stated 
that it was impossible to avoid the killing of some seals in the pro- 
hibited classes without allowing the escape of a number of eligible 
seals, but that he would make every effort to keep the weights at the 
proper standard. He then took from the clubbing gang several young 
clubbers, leaving the clubs in the hands of old and experienced men 
only. 

These facts are not cited for the purpose of charging the companj- 
Avith any attempt to exceed the regulations, as nothing of that kind 
was done, but to show that, with all proper care taken, ineligible skins 
were unavoidably present. 

On St. Paul, to guard against the killing of -i-year-olds, I placed 
a limit of 8i to 9 pounds as the maximum weight of skins. Against 
this action Mr. Redpath, for the company-, protested. During the 
season, however, 171 skins were taken over 9 pounds in weight, which 
is due, so far as I am able to say, to errors in judgment in clubbing 
and to the other causes which led to the presence of underweight skins 
in the killings. 

UE.JECTIONS FROM DRIVES. 

The true test, however, of the efficacy of the regulations designed 
to prevent too close killing is found in the record of seals dismissed 
as ineligible from the drives made on St. Paul since the time when the 
regulations were given effect. 

In order to insure as great accuracy as possible, Mr. Judge and 1 
divided the work of counting the seals dismissed, he keeping a record 
of the branded seals turned away, while I took note of the number 
of those dismissed that were not branded. Our record of dismissals, 
therefore, is as nearly accurate as could be made. 

In 1903, when no restriction was placed on killing, there were 912 
large and 1,18.5 small rejections. Of these small rejections, only 723 
were made during the lessee's sealing season, the remainder, 426, 
occurring during tlie two food drives n.iade by the (Tovernment agents 
on August 4 and 10. During the period of killing l)y the lessee in 

1903, therefore, its agents turned away only 723 small seals as 
ineligible. 

In 1904, after the enforcement of the regulations requiring brand- 
ing and the estal)lishment of a o^-pound minimum limit of weight, 
there were 641 large dismissals, 4,794 small dismissals, and 1,888 dis- 
missals of ])randed seals. As the latter are composed of 2 and 3 year 
olds — immature seals — they may properly be added to the list of small 
rejections. There actually occurred, therefore, during the summer of 

1904, 641 large and 6.«'.S2 small rejections on St. Paul. 

As only one food drive was made in August, 1904, on St. Paul, 
when 5 large and 302 small and 11 branded seals were dismissed, it 
will be seen that the greater portion of the rejections occurred during 
the lessee's sealing season and were turned away by its agents. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 13 

The dismissals b}' the lessee's agents durinu- the lessee's sealing- 
seasons of 1903 and 1904 on St. Paul follow: 





Year. 


Large. 

884 
636 


Small. 


1903 


723 


1904 1 


6,369 







The whole record of dismissals for the two seasons is as follows: 



Year. 


Large. 


Small. 


1903 


1 
912 ' 
G41 


1 185 


1904 


H,682 







The decrease in 1904 in large rejections is due to the lessened num- 
ber of that class of males on the hauling ground, caused by close 
killing. The increase in 1904 of 5,497 small dismissals over the pre- 
ceding 3'ear shows at a glance that the condition sought to be allevi- 
ated has been met. 

I regret to state that I have been unable to lind among the other- 
wise complete statistics furnished me b}- Agent Clark of the season's 
work on St. George a list of seals dismis.sed. l.have taken such steps 
as I was able, how^ever, to have the data furnished this fall by Agent 
Judge. 

Note should be made in passing of the' number of bi-anded seals 
appearing in this summer's drives on St. Paul. The whole number 
branded on that island was 1,650, composed of 800 2-year-olds, 800 
8-year-olds, and 50 4-j' ear-olds. Of the rejections of branded seals, 
1,320 were of the two-^^ear class and 568 of the three-year class. 
Knowing that 800 of the two-3'ear class were in existence, it would 
appear that there w^ere 520, or 65 per cent, more rejections in that 
class than the whole number known to exist. Of the 800 3-year-olds 
branded, only 71 per cent of the whole number returned and were 
dismissed during the summer. As this is the tirst opportunity given 
to experiment with the percentage of return of a given number of 
seals, the information is interesting, and shows that the 2-3'ear-old 
seals haul much more frequently than the 3-year-olds. 

A number of St. George brands appeared in the drives on St. Paul. 
The St. Paul brands, as reported by agents Clark and Chichester, were 
also present in some number on St. George. It was not thought to 
keep a record of these seals from the other island until late in the 
season. It would go to prove, however, that a greater fluctuation 
exists among bachelors than before supposed. 

AVORK ox ROOKERIES. 

Coiaits of seals. — Agent Judge and I made as nmny intermediate 
counts of seals on the various rookeries as was possible during the 
summer, in addition to the regular counts of harems at the height of 
the season and the count of pups at the end of July. 



14 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



The harcMii count, which includes idle l)ulls, and maturo young bulls 
givino- o round on our approach, terincHl l)y us **(iuitt<'r,s," as well as 
regulai' l)ulls occupied with cows, follows: 



Kookerv. 



Lukanin 

Ketovi , 

Amphitheatre . ., 

Lagoon 

Tolstoi Cliffs 

Tolstoi 

Zapadni Reef 

Little Zapadni... 

Zapadni 

Gorbateh Cliffs . . 

Gorbatch , 

Reef 

Ardiguen 

Northeast Point . 
Little Polovina . . 
Polovina Cliffs. . . 
Polovina 

Total 





Idle 








Harems. 






Total 
idle. 


Total 
bulls. 


Sta- 


'Quit- 




tioned. 


ters." 






51 


7 


7 


14 


65 


69 


« 


3 


9 


78 


12 
24 




2 

1 


2 
6 


14 


.5 


30 


38 


4 


3 


7 


45 


149 


20 .. 




20 


1S9 


4C> 


4 


4 


8 


.54 


100 


10 .. 




10 


110 


250 


31 


4 


35 


285 


12 


1 .. 




1 


13 


1.51 


9 


6 


15 


166 


2S6 


22 


10 


32 


318 


1.5 


1 .. 




1 


16 


4.54 


31 


9 


40 


494 


21 


•) 


■) 


4 


25 


40 


2 


4 


6 


46 


72 


17 


5 


22 


94 


1,790 


172 


r.o 


232 


2,022 



The number of idle bulls enumerated does not include ''hauling- 
ground'' bulls, or those young bulls found apart from the cows on the 
areas frequented by the bachelors. Some idea of this class of animals, 
constantly fluctuating in numbers, may be gathered b}- a reference to 
the number of large rejected seals marked in the statistics of killing- 
for this year. This record of rejected seals does not contain an accu- 
rate count of all large seals found on the hauling grounds, as it is the 
object of the drivers to cut out, or dismiss, as many large seals as pos- 
sible between the time when the drive is made and the time it reaches 
the killing ground. 

An attempt was made by me this summer to classify the large 
rejected seals according to their ages. As the seals were turned from 
the killing ground to make their way back to the rookery, in addition 
to counting them, I made as careful an estimate as 1 could of the ages 
of the large seals. As considerable difference of opinion has alwa3's 
existed regarding the ages of bulls and half bulls — and, in fact, bach- 
elors — the classification made by me is given simply as ni}' personal 
opinion of the ages of the large seals turned away. The table follows: 



Date. 


Rookery. 


4 years. 


5 years. 


6 years. 


7 years. 


8 years 
or over. 


1904. 
June 10 


Tolstoi 

do 

Reef 


7 
4 

18 
6 
3 
6 

".5 
21 

6 
3 

18 


5 

1 
14 
8 
9 
6 
23 
3 
9 
5 
4 


2 
2 

I 

11 
4 

10 
1 
3 

13 
2 






15 


6 
3 
3 
8 
9 
2 

i 

8 




20 




21 


Tolstoi 




25 




•; 


26 


Polovina . . 




27 


Reef 




29 


Zapadni. . . 




J ulv 1 






2 

4 


Tolstoi 

Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point . 


2 










3 
8 


1 
2 
2 
1 


4 
2 




8 


Tolstoi 

Reef 

Northeast Point 


2 

7 
2 




9 


4 


U 


2 


2 





ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



15 



Date. 


Rookery. 


4 years. 


5 years. 


6 years. 


7 years. 


8 years 
or over. 


1904. 
July 14 
15 
16 


Zapadni 

Reef 

Northea.st Point 

Tolstoi 

Reef 


10 

5 
G 


5 
1 
2 


\ 


1 
3 


2 
1 

a 


18 






19 






20 


Zapadni 

Northeast Point 


4 
12 
3 
(i 
8 
2 
6 
4 

^4^ 

5 
2 






] 
3 




22 


7 

1 
2 
7 
1 
8 
4 
12 
3 
3 


6 


1 


23 


Tolstoi 




25 


Zapadni .. 


13 
11 
4 
4 
2 


1 

i 

8 
4 


3 


26 




12 


27 




9 


27 




9 


28 


Tolstoi 


"> 


29 


Zapadni 


1 


30 




5 
7 


2 

1 




31 




(; 


Aug. 9 


Reef and Gorbatch 

Total 


3 












224 


156 


128 


80 


53 



While the question ma}' be open to discussion whether a seal is 6 
or 7 years old, there can be no dou])t, at least in ni}^ mind, of the 
fact that the seals marked in the table above as being less than 8 
years of age are young animals and not superannuated wrecks, too 
old to perform the necessaiT functions in a harem. 

Counts of pups. — Beginning July 29 counts of pups were made on 
the rookery spaces where similar counts have been made for several 
years. The following table shows the counts so made, with those of 
1903 inserted for purposes of comparison: 



Rookery. 



Ketovi 

Lagoon 

Tolstoi Cliff 

Zapadni Reef 

Poloviiia Cliff 

Ardiguen 

Lukanin 

West side Northeast 

Point 

East side Northeast 

Point 

Little Polovina 

Polovina 

Gorbatch Cliff 

Sea Lion Rock 

Amphitheatre 



1903. 



1904. 



Harems. 



p Average 

^"P*^- harem. 



Total . 



13 



2,350 
1,262 
1,786 
1,320 
1,540 
575 
2,453 

2,855 

993 
1,067 
4,472 

690 
2,923 

515 



543 I 24,801 



31.75 

48.53 

40.59 

30 

29.61 

38.33 

43.80 

.50. 08 

32. 03 
44.46 
52. 61 
31. 3S 



39.61 



12 



467 



Pups. 



2,147 
1,084 
1,571 
1,091 
1,412 
565 
2,020 

2, 812 

831 

941 
3,691 

481 
2, 705 

458 



21,309 



Average 
harem. 



Per cent 
decrease 

of 
harems. 



31.11 
45. 16 
41.34 
23.71 
35. £0 
37.66 
39.60 

48.16 

43.73 
44.80 
51.26 
40. 08 



38.16 



0.067 
.076 
.136 

O.C45 
.23 



.089 

.157 

.387 
.125 
.1.52 
.454 



.077 



39. J3 



Per cent 
decrease 
of pups. 



0.086 
.141 
.12 
.173 
.083 
.017 
.176 

.19 

.193 
.118 
.174 
.302 
.074 
.110 



.149 



The count of rookeries made from time to time during the season 
will be found appended as Exhibit 7. 



DECREASE IN ROOKERY LIFE. 



BtiUs. — The count of bulls this summer on St. Paul, as shown on 
page 16, was 2,022 bulls, consisting of 1,790 harem masters and 232 
idle, while that of the previous season (1903) was 2,402 bulls— 1,984 
harems and 418 idle. Their comparison shows a decrease of 380 bulls 



k; 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES, 



of all c'iasse.'?, or 15. S per cent, as well as a decrease of lt»4 harem mas- 
ters, or H.T per cent, and a decrease of 18*! idle, or -1:4.5 per cent. 

Covix. — As shown by the precedinj>- table, a decrease of :>,492 breed- 
ing cows, or 14. 1> per cent, on the rookerv space on which pups were 
counted has occurred since 1903 on St. Paul. 

Couiits on St. George. — A summary of the counts of breeding bulls 
made on St. (Jeorge this summer b}^ Agents Clark and Chichester, as 
reported to me by Agent Clark, follows: 



Rookery. 


Bulls. 


Harems. 


Idle. 




141 
67 
24 
19 
53 
70 


128 
50 
21 
18 
39 
56 


13 


East Cliff<» 


17 


EiKt Reef 


3 




1 




14 




14 








Totul 


374 


312 


62 







Estimating 415 bulls — 364 harem masters and 51 idle bulls — on St. 
George in 1903, there would seem to be a decrease of 41 bulls there 
since that time. 

Pups on St. Geoi\/e. — An actual count of pups on that island in 1904 
disclosed 13,583 pups— 13,312 live and 271 dead. By comparison with 
the count for 1903 — 14,582 live and 65 dead— a decrease of 1,064 
breeding cows, or 7.2 per cent, is found. 

CENSUS OF BEEEDING COWS AND BULLS. 

The number of breeding seals on St. Paul Island in 1904, as deter- 
mined l)y the count of all the harems except those on Sea Lion Rock, 
where an estimate is made on the basis of the average harem of 39.83, 
and a count of pups on over one-fourth the rookery area (from which 
is determined the average harem, on which an estimate of seals on the 
remaining area was made), was 1,857 active and 232 idle bulls, and 
74,002 adult females. 

On St. George an actual enumeration of all bulls and pups shows 
312 active and 62 idle bulls and 13,583 cows. This gives a total 
for both islands of 2,169 bulls with harems, 294 adult idle bulls and 
87,585 breeding cows. 

COMPUTATION OF HALF BULLS. 

In estimating the number of half bulls existing, reference is had to 
the table of killings, which shows 588 rejections of seals under 8 years 
of age, consisting of 224 4-year-olds, 156 5-year-olds, 128 6-year-olds, 
and 80 7-year-olds. The rejections of branded seals this year shows 
that the older the bachelor the less often he will visit the hauling 
grounds. In the case of the branded 3-year-olds, not enough returned 
to the hauling grounds to make the number of subsequent rejections 
equal to the whole number branded. The actual number of rejections 
in this class was 568, or 71 per cent of the 800 branded. By this we 
know that, in the 3-year-old class, the whole number existant is greater 



ALASKAN SEAL FTSHERIES. 17 

than the whole number of rejections, ev^en allowing- that the same 
animal was driven twice in many cases. 

That the frequency with which young- males visit the hauling- grounds 
becomes less as the age of the animal increases is but natural, for as 
the animal finds an attraction in the female increasing- with its age, it 
assuredly would devote more and more of its time to seeking- her. In 
the case, therefore, of the -i, 5, 6, and 7 year old classes, it is safe to 
assume that a greater number than 30 per cent was not present on the 
hauling gi-ounds at any time during- the season when drives were made, 
and that the addition of at least 50 per cent to the number of rejections 
would be a conservative estimate of the number of that class of ani- 
mals. This method of computation would increase the number of 
rejections of .young- bulls found on the hauling ground on St. Paul — 
588 — to 882, as the whole number of that class present on that island. 
While I have not, at present, a list of the rejections for St. George, it 
would be safe to estimate the half bulls on that island at one-fifth of 
the number found on St. Paul, or 176. For the two islands, there- 
fore, according to this method of estimation, we have 1,058 half bulls 
between the ages of 1 and 7 years, which is more than likely below 
the number actually in being-. 

NUMBER OF BACHELORS AND VIRGIN COWS. 

In 1902 the census of breeding- cows showed 94,882 to be present on 
both islands. The offspring- of these females are presumed to be 
equall}" divided as regards sex. The pups born that 3^ear therefore 
would consist of 17,111 males and an equal number of females. 

Owing to their extreme 3^outh and their inability to withstand the 
hardships of their migratory journey and the assaults of their natural 
enemies a death rate of 50 per cent is accepted as occurring- among 
the pups from the time they leave the islands until they return the 
following- year as yearlings. Assuming this condition to exist, there 
were in 1903 17,111 yearling- seals, of which one half, or 23,720, were 
males and the remaining half females. 

These seals, having- survived the vicissitudes of the winter's jour- 
ne}" and being inured to the hardships of the sea, were subject to a 
much smaller death rate during- their migration as }• earlings than they 
were as pups. This diminished death rate would be in the neighbor- 
hood of 30 per cent. Deducting- 30 per cent from the number of year- 
lings in 1903 to allow for casualties at sea would bring- 16,601 2-year- 
old cows and the same number of 2-year-old bachelors to the islands 
in 1901. 

As, approximately, 9,000 2-3^ear-old bachelors were killed this sum- 
mer by the company, there would be left, at the close of the season of 
1904, by this method of computation, 7,604 bachelor 2-year-olds and 
16,601 2-year-old females. 

Account has been taken heretofore only of casualties at sea from 
natural causes. No deduction has been made for decrease from 
pelagic sealing. What allowance to make from this cause is mere 
conjecture. 

We know that, practically, 6,500 rejections of 2-year-old males 
occurred on the islands this summer. In the case of the 2-year-old 

S. Doc. 98—05 2 



18 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

branded rejects, the number of those turned awii}' from the drives 
exceeded the whole number branded by 65 per cent. Applying this 
rule to the whole number turned away of the islands, the 0,50») dis- 
missals would represent practically -t,5UU animals. If 7,604 2-year-old 
males were in being', as shown by the previous computation, it would 
mean that there were 8,000 of this class that did not haul on the 
islands at all, or were present on Sea Lion Rock, Ottei' Island, 
Zapadni Point, and the other isolated hauling grounds, from which 
no drives were made. 

While I know that seals were present on these places last mentioned, 
the tiuctuation shown this summer among branded seals raises a doubt 
in my mind whether as many as 3,000 animals could avoid being 
driven at least once during the season. To avoid overestimation. I 
would rather place this number not driven at all at 1,000, leaving the 
difterence of 2,(K)0 to Ije accounted foi- as having been destroyed by 
the sea hunters. 

If 2,000 is deducted from the previous estimate of the number of 
2-year-old males, it must be taken also from the same estimate of the 
number of 2-year-old females (16,()04), leaving 14,604 of that class in 
existence this summer. 

FIMAL ESTIMATE OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS. 

It is, therefore, estimated that 5,500 2-3'ear-old males and 14,604 
females of the same class were present this summer on the islands, at 
the close of the sealing season. 

YEARLINGS PRESENT IN 1904. 

The census of 1903 showed 97.296 pups born. B}- the method of 
computation already used, one-half, or 48,648, were males, and the 
other half females. As they would be reduced 50 per cent by their 
first winter's migration, 24,324 females and 24,324 males would return 
to the islands in 1904 as yearlings, not counting the effects of pelagic 
sealing. The latter cause, during this spring and summer, probably 
destroyed 3,000 of each class, leaving 21,324 yearling males and 21,324 
yearling females remaining at the close of the summer of I'.Hll. 

NUMBER OF THREE-YEAR-OLD BACHELORS. 

One thousand of this class of animals were branded this summer on 
the islands. The killings on St. Paul this summer, as nearly as I can 
determine, contained 1,037 skins of 3-year-olds, or those above 7i 
pounds and under 9 pounds. Approximately 200 were killed on St. 
George. There were, therefore, at least 2,200 3-year-olds handled 
this summer on both islands. The dismissals of branded 3-year-old 
seals show only 71 per cent of the whole number present in the drives. 
It would be proper, therefore, to increase the whole number found 
present by 30 per cent, or 660, making a total of 2,860 to represent the 
number of 3-year-olds present this summer. As 1,200 of these were 
killed, there would be 1,660 still in existence. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 19 

SUMMARY OF SEAL LIFE. 

A sunimarv of all .seal life on the islands, at the close of the season 
of 190-1:, based upon such counts as were made, and the preceding cal- 
culations, show the following: 

Active bulls with harems 2, 169 

Idle bulls 294 

Half bulls 1 , 058 

Three-year-old bachelors 1, 660 

Two-year-old bachelors "5, 500 

Yearling bachelors 21, 324 

Breeding cows 87, 585 

Two-year-old cows 14, 604 

Yearling cows 21 , 324 

Newborn pups 87, 585 

Total 243, 103 

SHRINKAGE IN ROOKERY SPACE. 

From the data given it will be tieen that a decrease in pups born has 
occurred since last year of 8,647 on St. Paul and l,0(j-i on St. George, 
the first marked decrease in pups occurring in the census for several 

This decrease is not due to imperfect fertilization b}- bulls, but to 
an actual shrinkage in breeding females. This is apparent in the 
abandonment of certain portions of rookeiy space. 

This shrinkage has occurred on the extremities of the rookeries 
marked, leaving the central portions as densel}" populated as heretofore. 

For example, that portion of Ketovi rookery consisting of bowlder 
beach from Black Bluffs to Ketovi Point last year contained 14 harems. 
This year it contained 4 harems, in all of which were 10 cows. These 
4 harems were located immediate!}' adjacent to the point. The remain- 
der of the rookery space mentioned was deserted. 

The north half of Lukanin rookery is practicalh' deserted. The 
high south portion was as densely populated as heretofore, but that 
portion under the low bluff's — a favored spot of observation for 3'ears 
past — contained only 5 straggling harems of 1 or 2 cows each. At the 
north end of the breeding area several harems of 10 and 12 cows each 
occurred, but in the whole area mentioned the absence of cows was 
sadly apparent. 

On the oc<"asion of the landing of freight and passengers from the 
Thetis on Jul}' 27 — the first vessel to visit the islands since the spring 
trip of the Kruger — it was not safe to take the boat back to East Land- 
ing. It was therefore brought around to Lukanin, and landed under 
the low bluff's mentioned, without disturbing a seal, where several years 
ago a succession of thriving families svould have been found. 

Gorbatch Cliff's is the narrow, outlying north end of Gorbatch Rook- 
ery. This summer there were 12 harenis there at the height of the 
season, and 481 pups. Last summer there were 22 harems and 090 
pups, showing that a decrease of 30 per cent in cows occurred there. 

The east side of Northeast Point, from No. 1 to and including Sea 
Lion Neck, to a mere observer, showed a decided shrinkage in seals. 
In 1903, 31 harems and 989 pups were counted here. In 1904 only 19 



20 ALASKAN SKAL FISHERIES. 

harems wore found, aiul S'M pups. In this case the diniinutiou in 
harems is more pronounced than in other localities. In 1903 the a\er- 
age harem in this space was 31 + , while in 1904 it was 43+. 

On the west side of Northeast Point a most visi})le shrinkage was 
noted, the area from the extreme west end to No. 94 being- without 
an}' seals whatever. The averaoe harem on the west side to No. 84 in 
1904 was 48+. as against 50+ in 1903. Here the decrease in cows 
was greater than in Indls, hence the lowering of the average harem. 

It is probable that in several 3'ears there will l)e no seals east of Sea 
Lion Neck at Northeast Point. 

These instances, typical in tlieir character, show that by no means 
the same number of cows was present in 1904 as in 1903, and that the 
decrease in pups noted on St. Paul Island occurred from a lack of 
adult females and not from a failure on the part of bulls last season 
to impregnate the cows. Had the latter been the case the same num- 
ber of cows would have been noted, and the first evidence of dimunition 
would have been met with in the count of pups. But the decided vis- 
able contraction in space occupied by cows this year shows that a nuich 
smaller number of cows was present, and that to this fact alone must 
be laid the absence of the usual number of pups. 

PRESENCE OF IDLE BULLS. 

With the decrease in adult bulls on all the rookeries of 382, or 15.8 
per cent, from the number present last year, there were still 232 bulls 
on the rookeries this year that had no cows at the height of the season 
out of the 2,022 present, or 11 per cent. These were not superannu- 
ated bulls, "impotent and somnolent,"' as they have been stigmatized, 
but active l)ulls, eager for the cows that did not come, and much more 
aggressive and tierce than the bulls which had secured large harems 
and which had been doing duty as harem masters since the arrival of 
the females. 

Our observations have led us to believe that bulls will return to the 
same position from year to 3'ear. If these positions are on rookery 
areas which are frequented by cows, the bulls occupying them will have 
large harems. If, on the other hand, the l)ulls chance to have selected 
spots more or less deserted by cows, their harems will be small or they 
will have no harems at all. These positions are held by the bulls until 
at least the height of the season, even if they have been without cows. 
Then they probabl}- leave their stations for a few days in the water, 
during which they rest and feed, to return, and, if possible, pick up a 
harem from the virgin cows and the broken-up harems of other bulls. 
By the 15th of August the rookeries may be said to be abandoned to 
these idle bulls, which, even at that late date, show considerable energy 
in the discharge of their duties as breeders. 

DIMINUTION GREATER AMONG COWS. 

On the rookery space on St. Paul on which pups were counted as well 
as bulls and harems — and from the count of which the average harem 
was established — the decrease in harems was found to be 13.99 per cent, 
while the decrease in pups was 14.9 per cent. This demonstrates that 
in this area there was 1 per cent greater decrease in cows than in bulls, 
with a result of decreasinp- the average harem from 40.29 in 1903 to 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 21 

39.83 in 1904. The census of breeding cows for the whole island of 
St. Paul — using\the average harem for estimation on the large rook- 
eries where no count of pups could be made — shows 74,002 cows in 1904 
as against 82,649 for 1903, a decrease of 8,647 cows or onl}^ 10.4 per 
cent. As this whole census, however, involves the element of estima- 
tion noted, the percentage of decrease, obtained from its comparison 
with the census of the previous year, should, in my judgment, defer 
to the percentage obtained from an actual count only. 

CAUSE OF DECREASE IN COWS. 

As before shown, the diminution in pups was not caused by an}'^ 
insufficiency of adult male life, and that it must be laid to a lessened 
number of cows present. As absolutely no evidence of an epidemic or 
unusual death rate among cows or pups was found, the cause must be 
sought in the only remaining factor destructive to the herds, namely, 
pelagic sealing. 

While I have no means of determining with accurac}' what was the 
catch of the Canadian and Japanese sealing fleets last season and this 
spring, I am inclined to l^elieve that during those periods their activitj^ 
in connection with the Pribilof herd was unusualh^ destructive. If 
the exact figures of the pelagic catch for the last two seasons could be 
obtained they would probably show an unusual mortality among seals. 

FIGHTING AMONG BULLS. 

During the period of my observations of the islands 1 have never 
been able to reconcile existing relations between adult bulls to the 
statements in the early reports of incessant and deadly fighting among 
them. 

The reader of these reports would be led to believe that the landing 
of an adult bull is the occasion of desperate fighting between himself 
and the bulls already stationed, or those coming later; that he must 
rout other bulls to make place for himself, and, after having obtained 
this location, he must constantly repel invaders seeking to land and 
possess themselves of his preemption. 

While seals were not present in nearfy the same numbers during the 
period of my stay on the islands as the}' were in the time of the Alaska 
Connnercial Company's lease, they occupied a riiuch smaller space dur- 
ing my time than the}' did when there were thousands more present. 
Within this smaller area their actions must have been practically the 
same as they were when there was a greater number present and the 
space covered by them was much larger. 

My observation has been that the first Ijull to arrive laid down on 
the spot where he landed and immediately went to sleep, and slept 
continuously for a week or more unless disturbed by man. If sur- 
prised by the latter, the bull generally retreated hastily into the water, 
swinmiing out a hundred yards from shore, and there waiting until the 
departure of the disturbing element, when it would return and haul 
up at the same spot. This occurs in the cases of all early arrivals. 

'While on St. George, in the spring of 1901, I noted one bull that ^ 
took up his station on top of a sheet of soft ice several feet thick, 
formed by^surf spray splashing over snow, beneath which was a table 
of lava rock. The bull at once went to sleep, and continued sleeping 



22 ALASKAN ^^EAL FTSHERTES, 

until the hoiit of his body had melted the iee beneath him to the solid 
j-ock. leavint)- him in a shallow pit, the sides of which were from two 
to three feet hig-h. This shows that the bull had not moved from his 
orioinal position for some days at least. 

The other bulls arriving take up their positions among the bulls 
already there, there being generally enough space between them to 
allow for another without crowding or dist\u"bance of vested rights. 

As indicated before, the bulls on first arrival are usually wary and 
timid, and instead of looking for a tight will slip into the water when 
alarmed by the approach of man. 

After being on shore awhile the bulls lose the timidity shown at their 
landing, and, while hard fighting is not a usual thing to be seen among 
them, a bull may be noted here and there with a cut hide, the compli- 
ments of a surly neighbor. 

But even after the greater number of bulls is stationed, a new bull 
occasionally can haul up among them, take a favored spot, and meet 
with little or no opposition. The following quotation from my notes 
of June 9, 1900, will illustrate this fact. 

Lukanin perfectly quiet when I approached. Two bulls finning close to shore. 
One lands, and is savagely attacked by five bulls at once and literally thrown back 
into the water. He resumed his finning. The incident started a roaring here and 
there, being taken up by others in the distance, just as the howling of a dog at night 
is answered by another canine a mile away. It started ten or twelve bulls to bluff- 
ing, but no fighting, and all was quiet in three minutes. 

The other bull in the water landed while I was counting. He waddled leisurely 
up among the other bulls and calmly took up a position in their midst. He was 
challenged by but one bull and met the bluff in a leisurely way without coming to 
blows. Shaking his mane, he settled himself — resting on his fore flippers — and 
gazed out at the sea. He soon starts to bluffing his nearest neighbor on his own 
account. He is large and fat, and evidently an accomplished beachmaster. 

It can thus be seen that of these two bulls one landed without ques- 
tion while the other was repulsed. The latter was probably a young 
bull. It may be said of these young bulls, or those .seeking positions 
on the rookeries for the first time, that they are subjected to much 
rougher treatment than the older bulls give each other. This is 
natural, for the young ones lack the courage and assurance necessary 
to breast up to a rival and make a bold showing, which is really half 
the battle between bulls. On- the contrary, the younger upon being- 
challenged generally turns to retreat or loses his courage and lowers 
his guard after the other has taken a nip at him. He is then, of (course, 
an easy victim and is severly handled before he reaches the water or 
tights back with the desperation of the frightened animal. 

The timorous landing of a young bull on the water's edge is a signal 
for the bulls in that vicini-ty to rush at him, some even following him 
into the water in his hasty flight. These younger bulls usually land 
at one or the other ends of a rookery and travel along its rear to the 
portion of the rookery having the greatest number of cows, where 
the}^ station themselves far enough back to be out of range of the 
nearest harem. If the youngster's bravery is equal to it, he will 
approach near enough to be set upon by the nearest bull, from which 
encounter he will probably retire with more than one bloody gash in 
his sleek coat. 

Sometimes a young bull, either through fright at the approach of 
man or othei- cause, is stampeded, and seeks the water l)y plunging 
through the rookery. His coming is a signal for the bulls ii! his neigh- 
borhood to gather in a common cause to repel the invader. The latter 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIJ:S. 23 

is set upon by two or three bulls at once, and does not reach the water 
without a territic mauling-, if he is not killed outright. 

It is not intended to intimate that these adult bulls pass an entire 
summer without friction between each other or without — in certain 
eases, at least — serious coniiicts. It is simply desired to demonstrate 
that tio-hting is not an immediate and necessary consequence of the 
arrival of these bulls on the islands. \A'hile these old males sleep dur- 
ing- the greater portion of their time before the arrival of the cows, 
more or less ii-ritation occurs as the rookery space is tilled up and the 
bulls are brought closer together. This usually iinds a vent in bluff- 
ing, or approaching each other and, just beyond reach, making a feint 
by striking with the head and emitting several loud ''coughs'' in the 
nature of battle cries. These are either treated with unconcern by 
the one on the defensive or answered in kind. 

Occasionally they come together, but after a bite or two at each 
other in which fur is pulled out, and perhaps a gash made, each retires 
to his position and very likely soon goes to sleep again. 

A desparate battle sometimes occurs, but is distinctly the exception 
rather than the rule. Then the teeth are locked in the neck or fore 
flipper, and the animal having the advantage of superior strength or 
position, "breasts" the other one, seeking to push him over and thus 
take him at a disadvantage. This sometimes results in a draw, and 
sometimes in the defeat of one, who probably is driven to the water 
line and leaves the I'ookery to haul up somewhere else if his wounds 
are not serious. 

Very rarely, by reason of some special animosity, bulls keep up a 
fight for hours. Last summer, on Lukanin, I noted two fine bulls that 
were covered with wounds when I first saw them, and so exhausted 
and sore that moving about seemed a torture. Yet every few seconds 
one or the other, with a puff' of rage, would make a lightning-like pass 
at his antagonist seeking to get another piece of flesh from him. Both 
had high courage, and both had fought to a standstill. One of these 
bulls was so badly injured that, while he did not quit the position he 
held on the rookery, it was not until a month afterward that his 
wounds allowed him any freedom of movement. 

While the above incident is extreme as representing the fighting 
between bulls, vet, at one time or another during the summer prob- 
abh^ every bull on the rookeries has some disagreement with his 
neighbor that leaves its mark, either superficial or otherwise, on his 
hide. 

The cows of course are the disturbing element on the rookeries, 
and the height of the breeding season shows the greatest amount of 
fighting- among the males. 

PRESENCE OF YOUNG BULLS APPARENT. 

Among the bulls regularly stationed on the rookeries there was a 
fair proportion of young adult males. It was n\y purpose to make a 
canvass of the rookeries for the express purpose of judging the age 
of each bull present, but after attempting it I was obliged to give it 
up because of the amount of conjecture involved in classifying middle- 
aged bulls. 

From my examination, however, I can say with assurance that all 
bulls stationed were vigorous and virile. Probably 4 per cent of them 



24 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

showed .sign:? ol" heiiio- advanced in years, but oven these had harems 
and were as assiduous in discharging- their duties as heads of families 
as any others. The greatest portion of the V)ulls were of middk^ age, 
in the Iust\' prime of their maturity. Young bulls were present at 
all time — on the rookeries with cows. Ijack of the rookeries, waiting 
for cows, and on the l)achelors' hauling grounds where they rest after 
futile attempts to secure a station on a rookery. The bulls present 
last sunnner were of the best quality, and. as a class as good as could 
be found on the rookeries live years ago when the idle l)ulls present 
made it perilous to count the seals. 

YEARLINGS IN DRIVES. 

Special attention was paid by me to the presence of yearlings in 
drives. The first seen was on June 28 in a drive from Zapadni. It 
was so small that it was killed to determine its weight. It was a male 
and weighed only 2f):^ pounds. It, undoubtedly, was a small example 
of its class. It was saved for a specimen, and the weight of its skin 
could not be taken. 

On July 1 there were 3 3'earling seals in the drives at Northeast 
Point. One of them, a typical specimen, was knocked dovyn at my 
direction to ascertain the weight of the skin. It was found to be a 
female. The carcass before sticking weighed 34 pounds, and the 
skin taken off hurriedly,' with considerable loose blubber adhering 
weighed 4i pounds. The removal of this loose blubber left the skin 
weighing onh" 'Sh pounds. 

While no further effort was made to determine the weight of year- 
ling skins, this instance shows that the skins of this class of animals 
are far below the limit of weight now prescribed b}^ the Department, 
and are too small to have appeared in the company's catch at any time, 
except by an accident in clubbing. 

On July 5. at Zapadni, 5 yearlings appeared in the drive. On Jul}' 
25, at Zapadni, several yearlings Avere noted while killing. As the 
season reached its close more of these yearlings were noted, but it was 
not possible to enumerate them, in addition to segregating the 2-year- 
olds, branded seals, and half bulls. On the last drive made, on August 
9, for food, a larger number of these 3'earlings was seen than at anj- 
time heretofore, and among them was a sprinkling of verv small cows, 
undoubtedly yearlings also. 

These 3'oung animals appeared in such small numbers, however, 
during the killing season, with the exception of the last few drives, 
that the company's catch would have been augmented but slightlv had 
aU been killed. 

ABSENCE OF COAVS IN DRIVES. 

The comparatively few cows in the drives this yeav was a matter of 
note by m3self and Agent Judoe. On the last drive of the season, 
August 9, 2.5 cows were seen. On the drive made on August 10, 1903, 
179 cows were counted. During the preceding drives this season, the 
cows found in the drives of bachelors were unusually few. 

Why this was the case I am unable to state detinitely, l)ut ni}' belief 
is that the bachelors, this 3'ear, hauled so far apart from the cows that 
few of the latter were picked up when the drives were started. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 25 

PELAGIC SEALING AND PATROL. 

The patrol this summer l)y the revenie cutter MdJulloch hiis been 
as thorough as it was possible to be made with one vessel. During 
the patroling season the cutter called a number of times at the island 
and a number of times beside v.as sighted cruising. Captain Kodgers, 
of the JlcCnUocJi, is entitled to his full measure of connnendation for 
the vigorous manner in which the patrol was maintained. 

Only one instance of pelagic sealing came under our notice on St. 
Paul this summer. On August 13, while the company's vessel was 
about to leave the village for Northeast Point to ship the skins in salt 
there, a telephone message was received from the watchmen at North- 
east Point reporting the presence of a schooner there, about half a 
mile from shore. Mr. Judge at once went on board the company's 
vessel, taking with him a revenue flag, which he requested the captain 
of the Kfuger to hoist and pursue the marauder. The company's 
agent, Mr. Redpath, however, refused to take this action, on the 
ground that it would result in a forfeiture of the insurance on the ves- 
sel. Mr. Judge made the trip to the point on the Kni<jrt\ and, on 
arriving there, could barely make out the schooner with glasses, sail-* 
ing to the northeastward. A patrol of the rookeiy failed to show 
any evidence of landing. 

That evening the cutter JfcCulloch anchored on the east side. As 
the natives were all on board the Kru<jei\ or in boats landing her cargo 
on the west side. I could not take a boat out. I therefore hoisted 
code signals to inform the cutter of the schooner's approach that 
morning. 1 Avas unable to attract the attention of the cutter, however, 
for nearly an hour, during which time I tired a number of shots from 
a rifle to call attention to the signals. When I finally did get an 
answer it w'as nearly dark, and after I had hoisted my second set the 
officers of the cutter replied that my flags could not be made out. 

The next morning, after boarding the Kruger several miles from the 
island and learning from her of the schooner's proximity, the cutter 
steamed to the northward, presumably in search of the marauder. I 
learn that no schooner was encountered, and that the cutters officers 
were inclined to doubt the fact that a sealing vessel was present. 

On September 16 I patrolled Ketovi and Lukanin rookeries, looking- 
for a dead seal with a skin that might be used in experiments to arrive 
at a suitable clipping device for marking bachelors. I found no dead 
adult seals. 1 counted, however, on Ketovi alone 12 pups dead from 
starvation, each being emaciated to the last degree and exhibiting the 
tarry fteces incident to death from that cause. I could see also among 
the live pups a numbei' of starvelings. On the north end of Ketovi 1 
found five starving pups together in a little pod back from the beach. 
They Avere all lean and wasted, but particularh' vicious when handled. 
Two of thein, more vigorous than the others, rushed for the water. 
The others remained and, soon becoming olilivious to our presence, sat 
with half -closed eyes, their noses held high and their heads slowly mov- 
ing from side to side. One of them, hardly able to move, was dispatched 
at my direction and the skin preserved. 

I found the organs in this animal to be normal, except that the lungs 
were partially congested. The stomach and intestines were empty, the 
lower intestine only containing a highly oft'ensive matter, nearly black 
in color. The carcass was without fat. 



26 ALASKAN SP:AL FISHERIES. 

Thcso pups die among the loose rocks of the rookery iuid can be 
found onl}' on close search. The tindinj4- of 12 dead and at least as 
many starving on one rookery in my hasty examination would indicate 
that the mortality from pelagic sending' this suiumer has been (juite 
large and that a correspondingly large death rate among pups from 
starvation this fall will be encountered. 

EXPERIMENTS IN WEIGHTS OF SALTED SKINS. 

In connection with the weighing of individual skins on the killing- 
field, it was thought wise to determine whether or not skins gained or 
lost weight after being salted. Should an}" discrepancy of this kind 
occur, the weights of these skins in London would not coincide with 
those taken on the islands. 

On Jul}' 17, 107 skins taken at Tolstoi were weighed individually, 
and, after being immersed in salt water to keep them moist during the 
journey from the field to the salt house, were salted. Their aggregate 
weight on the tield before wetting was 7<)o pounds. On July 23 they 
were taken out of salt and reweighed, when their aggregate weight 
was 759^ pounds, a gain of 54^ pounds on 107 skins, or ^ pound a 
skin. As the salt was thoroughly shaken off these skins, the accretion 
of water from dipping them in the lagoon may be represented ))y the 
gain in weight. 

On July 20 I weighed 100 skins, nearly dry, on a platform scales at 
the salt house, finding them to weigh 6-i4i pounds. They Avere then 
salted. On July 30 they were hauled out of salt and reweighed, when 
their combined weight was 643i pounds, a loss of 1 pound on 100 
skins. These may be taken as typical to show the effect of salt and 
water upon skins. I was not able to experiment with perfectly dry 
skins after the date mentioned, but I believe the latter will show a 
slight loss of weight after being in salt for a period. 

BRANDING MACHINES. 

The clipping machine, sent to this island to be used for marking 
the bachelor seals reserved for breeding, arrived here by the Thetis, on 
July 27, a month after the quota of seals to be br-anded on this island 
was obtained. 1 was not able to test it until July 30. when a drive 
was made from the reef — in a pouring rain. The seals rejected from 
this drive were herded together, and, after the killing was over and 
the skins weighed, several young bachelors were snared from the band 
of rejects and brought up to lie clipped. 

The clipping machine, I regret to state, was found to be not a suc- 
cess on wet seals. The fur of the animal was thoroughly moist and 
laid down flat on the seal's body. When the clipper was applied it was 
able to take off' only a few stray hairs, leaving no mark whatever of its 
use. After being tried at varying rates of speed it was jammed down 
hard into the animaPs fur, so that the teeth of the clipper could be 
tilled. The result was to cramp the plates, breaking oft" four teeth 
from the lower plate and pulling out a line of hair and fur the width 
of the clipper blade. 

After testing it in every possible manner it was proved to be of no 
value in markino- wet seals. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 27 

To deteniiine its capabilities under more favorable conditions, on 
September 16 I drove up a few dry seals on Zoltoi and used the clip- 
per on them. The result was little, if any, better than that of the 
former trial. 

On the tirst animal secured I worked four minutes before I could 
get off of its head enough hair and fur to make a mark faintly per- 
ceptible to a "clubber." This was not clipped off' regularly, as would 
be done in the case of a horse or a dog, but was gouged out in small 
bunches by the corner of the clipper, after it had cramped on the mass 
of fur. 

At the end of the four minutes, with only an indistinct mark made, 
1 found that the seal under experiment was nearly strangled from 
being held down by the bar of wood laid across its neck to keep its 
head steady. It was released at once and, after about two minutes 
of gasping, recovered and made its way to the water, apparently none 
the worse for being choked. Had I prolonged the experiment, how- 
ever, sufficiently to have made a satisfactory mark on its head — if even 
it were possible to make a satisfactory mark at all — the seal would have 
been dead from strangulation. 

Another seal was then secured and held down just long enough to 
prevent its being choked into insensibility. In that time I was not 
able to get off' enough fur to make any perceptible mark on its head. 

These trials were sufficient to determine, to ray mind, the fact that 
the methods used in clipping domestic animals having hair of ordinary 
thickness are of no value when used on the thick fur and hair of the 
fur seal. 

I learned recentlj^ that during the time of the Alaska Commercial 
Company's lease, when pups were killed for food and pup skins were 
quite common on the islands, a number of attempts were made to dress 
pup skins by clipping off' the long hair with ordinary hair clippers 
worked by hand. I understand that none of these attempts were sus- 
cessful, and that ever}' pair of clippers used was wrecked by having 
its teeth broken off while they were clogged in the thick fur. 

The hair and fur of the seal are exceptionalh' close and thick and 
seem to form a mass between the thin teeth of the clippers, which the 
latter are not strong enough to cut through. To make the machine a 
success it will be necessary to have constructed specially made clippers 
with teeth short and thick on both upper and lower plates. 

In order that the Department, if it wishes, may carry the experi- 
ment further, 1 send with this mail an air-dried pup skin, which, it is 
suggested, might be sent to the manufacturers of the clipping machine 
with a request for information whether they have in stock or can 
construct a set of plates for clippers that will cut through both the hair 
and fur on the skin submitted. I feel sure that clippers can be made 
to meet the requirements of this case. 

It nuist bo remembered that the skin on the live seal is not rigid, 
such as is the dried specimen submitted, and that on the live animal 
the skin will pull and Avrinkle before the clippers, making it difficult 
for them to get a satisfactory "bite'' on the hair. 

CLIPPING SEALS ON ST. GEORGE. 

On St. George this summer, finding that wet seals could not be 
branded with a hot iron, a couple of ordinary sheep shears that were 



28 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

on the station were used on the wet fur to o'ood advantage. The ii'ons 
afterwards were discarded and the sheep shears used to mark the 
remainder of the (juota on St. George. Messrs. Clark and Chiehester 
both speak with favor eoncerning their use. 

I'KOTESTS FROM THE CO:MrANY. 

While the North American Commercial Company complied in every 
particular this summer with the regulations of the Department, I 
received from its officers several protests against the Department's 
action in restricting the catch of the company. 

Upon receipt of youi- letter of May 12 last, prescribing a 54 -pound 
limit on 2-year-old skins, I notified Mr. Taylor, the president of the 
compan}', of the contents of the letter. He at once entered a vigorous 
protest. Upon my informing him that I dad no option in the matter, 
he appealed directly to the Department, and held the company's vessel 
in Sausalito for half a day until the receipt of the Department's repl3^ 
With that matter, however, you are familiar. 

Upon arrival at the islands, while discussing the coming season's 
work with Mr. Redpath, the compan3''s general agent, I mentioned the 
prohibition against the killing of -i-year-olds, and stated that, to give 
effect to this prohibition, I would place a limit on large skins of from 
8i to 9 pounds, Mr. Redpath at once expressed surprise at the exist- 
ence of this prohil)ition and entered a vigorous protest against an}^ 
interference with the killing of 4-year-olds. He produced a copy of 
the Department's instructions to me and quoted from the clause relat- 
ing to the i"estriction of killing in support of his argument. 

The exact language of that portion of the instructions is as follows: 
''No seals shall be taken that are over 4 years of age." 

Mr. Redpath claimed that a seal could not be over 4 years old with- 
out being at least 5 years of age; that the phraseology of the instruc- 
tions could have but one meaning, which was to prohibit the killing of 
seals 5 years old and over and to allow the killing of 4-year-olds. He 
insisted, therefore, that my injunction against killing 4-year-olds was 
beyond the scope of the Department's instructions, and therefore 
arbitrary and unjustifiable. 

I replied that, while there might be a seeming ambiguity in the 
language of the instructions on this point, 1 was perfectly convinced 
of the intention of the Department to prevent the killing of 4-3'ear- 
olds. I based this conviction on a knowledge of the Department's 
polic}^ outlined last winter before the Connnittee on Ways and Means. 
In fact, I had in my possession a letter from yourself, stating that it 
was the intention of the Department to "prohibit the killing of 4-year- 
olds.'' I was sure, therefore, that the restriction was not on my per- 
sona! responsibility, and therefore arbitrary and unjustifiable, but in 
strict accord with the wish of the Department. 

I stated, further, that the animals mentioned in the instructions as 
" seals over 4 years of age" were simply tmimals that had reached and 
passed the 4-year point, and were, therefore, "over" that age. I 
pointed out to him that a person who had, for instance, reached his 
iJSth birthday, would be "over" that age the number of succeeding 
days he lived following that birthday until he reached his twenty-ninth. 

It was also plain, ])y inference, that 4-year-olds were to be exempted 
from killing bv the fact that it would be useless to save 2 and 3 vear 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 29 

olds b}' branding-, onh^ to have them killed when they returned to the 
islands as -i-year-olds. 

Mr. Redpath replied that he was convinced that J was making a 
wrong interpretation of the Department's instructions, and that he 
considered such action arbitrary and highly injurious to the interests 
of the company. I ottered to reduce the matter to writing in the form 
of a letter to him, to which he could make a formal protest to the 
Department, if he so desired, but he declined, and the argument closed. 

In this connection I desire to request, if it is the wish of the Depart- 
ment to prohibit the killing of i-year-old males, as I understand it 
is, and should be, that a maximum limit of 8i pounds be placed on the 
skins to be taken hereafter. This, in my judgment, includes all, or 
nearly all, the 3-year-olds, but leaves the 4-3^ear-olds practically 
untouched. 

VITAL STATISTICS OF NATIVE POPULATION. 

The general health of the native population during the year ended 
June 30, 1904, has been good; on St. Paul 4 deaths and 7 births 
occurred during that period; on St. George 3 deaths and 6 births 
occurred. 

On June 30, 1904, on St. Paul there were 161 natives actuallv resi- 
dent, 80 males and 81 females, an increase of 2 over the preceding- 
year. On St. George, on the same date, there were 95 actual residents, 
48 males and 47 females, an increase of 3 during the year. 

The native population on the two islands on June 30, 1904, was 
256, composed of 128 males and 128 females. 

DIVISION OF natives' EARNINGS. 

On St. Paul, $5,566 was received by the natives at the close of the 
season of 1904 as their compensation for securing 11,132 seal skins (the 
number shipped from that island), at 50 cents each. Credits amount- 
ing to this sum w^ere divided among them according to their classifica- 
tions as "sealers, and will be expended for their maintenance on orders 
issued by the Government agent. The division of their earnings will 
be found appended as an exhibit hereto. 

On St. George, $998 was earned by the natives for taking 1,996 seal 
skins for the North American Commercial Company during the past 
season, and $2,370 for taking 471 blue-fox skins, at $5 a skin, and 15 
white-fox skins, at $1 a skin, their total earnings from these sources, 
as above stated, being $3,368. This amount has been divided accord- 
ing to the statements of division furnished b}^ Agent Clark, hereto 
appended also as exhibit. 

apportionment of government appropriation. 

The appropriation of $19,500, made by the Government for the sup- 
port of the seal-island natives, after deducting $3,500 to pay for coal 
to be delivered on the islands in the spring of 1905, was apportioned 
between the two islands by allowing St. Paul $9,750, and St. George 
$6,250. This will be disbursed, during the coming winter and spring, 
on orders by the Government agents for food, fuel, and clothing, and 
in extreme cases for other necessaries of life. 



30 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

DEPORTATION FROM ISLANDS. 

Upon my arrival at St. Paul this spring", 1 was furnished l)y Ao-ent 
Chichester with information of an attempt on his life by Alexander 
Melovidoff, a native of that island, while the latter was resisting arrest 
b}^ Mr. Chicester for having committed an alleged assault with a knife 
upon another native. I immediatel}' called the native in (juestion, with 
the witnesses, to the government house, and held a hearing. 

It was developed, in the examination, that on the niglit of Fel)ruary 
22, 19(1-1-, Mr. Chichester was called upon to arrest Alexander Melovi- 
doff for an alleged assault with a knife on Jacob Kochutin. After 
finding his man ]\Ir. Chichester, with the assistance of a native, put 
him in jail, not without a struggle. The prisoner then ])roke out of 
the jail and w^ent at once to his home, where he loaded his double- 
barrelled shot-gun and placed himself in a dark corner where he could 
command the door, threatening to shoot Mr. Chichester when the lat- 
ter should ci)me to rearrest him. The gun, however, was wrested from 
Melovidoff' by his wife and another woman after a desperate struggle, 
and when Mr. Chichester appeared he was able to handcuff' the prisoner 
and place him in jail. 

The showing made at the hearing was such that I felt it titting to 
order Melovidoff' to leave the islands, which he did on the company's 
vessel Kruger^ going to Unalaska. 

company's expenditure under Lease. 

Complying- with that portion of Department's instructions to me 
which directs me to ascertain from the company and report the amounts 
of its expenditures for the support of widows and orphans, aged and 
inffrm on the islands, for maintenance of schools, houses of worship, 
physicians and medical supplies, and native dwellings, under the appro- 
priate provisions of its contract with the Government, 1 made the 
request, while in San Francisco, of Mr. Taylor, the president of the 
couipan}", for suitable instructions to the company's agents on the 
islands to furnish nie with the statistics desired. He agreed to do so. 

On August 10 I requested this information of Mr. Redpath, and 
on August 12 received a letter from him inclosing a statement of 
expenditures for the items in question, with a verbal statement that 
the amounts were expended during the company's fiscal year — ending- 
May 31 — and that it was not feasible, in the short time given, to pre- 
pare the statement to cover the fiscal year ending June 30. A request 
is made, in the letter of Mr. Redpath, that the information therein 
given be considered confidential. 

Major Clark obtained also and forwarded to me a statement of simi- 
lar expenditures on St. George. 

A summaiy of these expenditures, as furnished me, follow^s: 

St. Paul— year ended May 31, 1904: 

For widows and orphans $1, 948. 85 

For physicians and medical supplies 2, 373. 86 

For rejiairs to native dwellings 49. 42 

For teachers and school supplies 2, 179. 85 

Total : 6,546.48 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 31 

St. George — year envied June 30, 1904: 

For widows and orphans $946. 98 

For physicians and medical supplies 1, 767. 58 

For repairs to native dwellings 5. 00 

For teachers and school supplies 1, 340. 13 

Total 4, 059. 69 



As can be .seen, the statement for St. George covers the fiscal yeav 
ended June 30, 1904. The number of indigents supported by the com- 
pany- on St. Paul, as stated in the company's communication, is 8 
widows, -2 spinsters, and 20 orplians. Of the 20 orphans, 10 have l)een 
adopted into families of sealers and receive only clothing from the com- 
pany. On St. George, according to the statement of Agent Clark, the 
average number of persons supported by the company under this clause 
of its contract is 13. 

The company's statement of these expenditures on St. Paul is attached 
as an exhibit. The communications received from Agent Clark on the 
subject are submitted also. 

Attention is called to the fact that on St. Paul a charge is made of 
$13 a week each for board of physician and school-teacher, while on 
St. George a charge of only $7 a week each for these employees is 
made. The reason for this dili'erence in these charges is not known. 

The Russian Church edifices on these islands were, I understand, 
built by funds contributed b}' the natives and have never been an item 
of expense to the company. 

FOXES. 

On St. George, during the last winter, 4:86 blue foxes and 15 white 
foxes were taken in house and box traps. Agent Clark reports that 
the apparent condition of the fox herd on that island is favorable. 
. It will be observed that, while $2,370 was received on St. George 
for taking fox skins, only $998 was earned l)v those natives for tak- 
ing seals. These tigures form a .striking conmientary on the value of 
preserving and cultivating the fox herd on St. George, and, as well, 
on the minor part played by the seal herd in furnishing subsistence to 
the natives of that i.sland. 

On St. Paul, last winter, the natives were allowed to trap foxes for 
one week, during which they were able to take only 15 blue and 5 
white foxes. The trapping party at Northeast Point, during that week, 
caught only 1 fox — a white one. 

The foxes sent from the Semedi Islands at the instance of Mr. Byron 
Andrews, in exchange for an equal number sent from St. George, 
arrived at Dutch Harbor just after the company's vessel left for the 
islands on her second spring trip. They were required to Avait at 
Dutch Harbor, therefore, nearly a month, or until the arrival of the 
company's vessel from San Francisco, on her last trip, during which 
time all but live died. Three of these died on the vessel before reach- 
ing St. Paul, and the remaining two were set at libert}' on that Island. 
What proportion of the St. George foxes survived the journey to the 
Semedis is not known, but the transaction, 1 am sure, was a losing 
one for the Pribilofs. 



82 ALASKAN SP:AL FISHERIES. 

SEALS FOR BKOOKLYN MUSEUM. 

Tn our visits to the viirious rookeries on the ishuid, Mr. Judge and 
I picked up, from time to time during the summer, such dead seals as 
we found having skins suitable for museum purposes, and bi-ought 
them to the village to l)e sent to the nniseum of the Bi-ookiyn Institute 
of Arts and Sciences, under the permission contained in your letter of 
May 12 last. In the height of the season's work no attention was 
paid to the numl)er of carcasses thus brought in, but at the end of the 
season I was informed b}' the native making the specimens that he had 
10 skins in salt and ready for shipment. The list he furnished me was 
as follows: One large bull, 2 half-bulls, 2 young males, 2 adult females, 
3 black pups. 

The large bull and one of the half-bulls died of exhaustion in drives 
made from the reef and Northeast Point, res^^ectively. The other 
half -bull was found dead on the tundra several days after a drive from 
Tolstoi. The two young luales were found dead by us on Ketovi while 
we were counting pups on that rookery. Both had their skulls crushed. 
While the idea seems improbable, the only explanation of their pres- 
ence to be arrived at was that a landing had been made on the rookery 
by some outsiders and these seals killed by them. An undeveloped 
fetus, probably eight months old, was found near the same place also 
with its skull crushed. These facts were at once reported to the cap- 
tain of the MeCulloch^ then lying at anchor off the island. The three 
black pups dead from natural causes were also found on this occasion. 
One of the cows was found on Zapadni Reef by Mr, Judge, having- 
died in giving birth to her pup, as evidenced by the uterus turned 
inside out and protruding. Another cow, dead from the same cause 
and exhibiting the same evidence of death, was found on July 29, on 
Tolstoi (cliffs, while we were counting pups. 

All of these skins, Avith the exception of the black pups, were 
offered to the agent of the company, Mr. Redpath, wdio refused to 
accept them as part of the company's quota. 

This list, as will be noted, was four in excess of the number requested 
and stated in your letter. 

While I had no intention of exceeding the number called for and 
authorized, we had unw ittingly collected this number and the native 
had performed service in preparing them. It w^ould have been useless 
to throw them awa}-, neither did I desire to do so, and pay for the labor 
out of my own funds. To clear up the matter the whole collection 
was packed in a barrel and shipped to the Museum, the company 
advancing- the charges of the native for his labor. 1 trust my action 
will be approved. 

EVIDENCE OF EPIDEMIC AMONG FOXES. 

In my supplementary report on foxes, made last winter, I stated it 
as my opinion that an epidemic of some nature occurred among- the 
foxes on St. Paul and St. George, during the spring of 1903, from the 
effects of which a number died. I had no evidence to support my be- 
lief save an unusual death rate. I was unable to ascribe the cause to 
starvation, a theorv advanced by others on the islands, as on St. Paul 
a quantity of salt salmon was freshened and thrown out for them, but 
was not eaten. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 33 

I find recently, however, in the Report on Introduction of Domestic 
Reindeer into Alg-ska, 1903, page 57, a statement in the report from 
Dr. H. R. Marsh, of the Point Barrow reindeer station, tliat a sick- 
ness called ''mullo-kull3%" or crazy, existed among all animals there 
during- the period when the large death rate was noted among foxes 
on the Pribilof Islands. The report states that "dogs died by scores. 
* * * People out trapping walked around knocking sick foxes on 
the head." 

Taken in connection with the loss of so many foxes on the islands, 
some of which on St. Paul exhibited symptoms of mania, as I noted 
at the time, this quotation would seem to go toward proving that a 
sickness or epidemic of some character affected animals in Alaska dur- 
ing the winter of 1902-.3, and that it had a specially mortal effect on 
the foxes on the Pribilof Islands. 

The following list of exhibits attached to this report for further 
reference is appended : 

No. 1. Certificate of shipment of skins, St. Paul. 
No. 2. Annual statement, fur seals killed, St. Paul. 
No. 3. Annual statement, fur seals killed, St. George. 
No. 4. Weights of seal skins, St. Paul. 
No. 5. Statistics of killings, St. Paul. 
No. 6. Census of breeding seals, St. Paul. 
No. 7. Counts of rookeries, St. Paul. 
No. 8. Division of natives' earnings, St. Paul. 
No. 9. Census of native inhabitants, St. Paul. 

No. 10. Statement expenditures of North American Commercial Company, for 
natives, St. Paul. 
No. 11. Report of Assistant Agent Chichester, St. Paul. 
No. 12. Certificate of shipment of skins, St. George. 
No. 13. Agent Clark's report on year's business, St. George. 
No. 14. Agent Clark's report on branding bachelors, St. George. 
No. 15. Agent Clark's report on corajmny's expenditures, St. George. 
No. 16. Weights of seal skins, St. George. 
No. 17. Rookery counts, St. George. 
No. 18. Count of pups, St. George. 
No. 19. Foxing memoranda, St. George. 
No. 20. Native census, St. George. 
No. 21. Seal division, St. George. 
No. 22. Fox division, St. George. 
No. 23. Report of food killings, St. George. 
No. 24. Memoranda of expenditures, St. George. 
No. 25. School report, St. George. 

Very trulj^, 3^ours, W. 1. Lembkey, 

Agent in Charge Seal Fisheries. 
Mr. F. H. Hitchcock, 

Chief Clerli Department of Commerce and Lahor. 



Exhibit No. 1. 

Certificate of shipment of skins, St. Paul. 

Division Special Agents. ) Island of St. Paul, 

Form 17. I Bering Sea, Alaska, August 14, 1904. 

This is to certify that 11,132 fur seal skins have this day been shipped on board 
the North American Commercial Company's steamer W. H. Kruger, consigned to the 
North American Commercial Company, San Francisco, Cal. 

W. I. Lembkey, 
Agent in Charge Seal Fisheries. 

K. A. Ahlin, 
Master Steamer W. H. Kruger. 
8. Doc. 98—05 3 



84 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 






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36 



ALASKAN SEAL B'ISHERIES. 



Exhibit No. 3. 

Annual statement of fur seals killed on St. George Island, Alaska, dnrlmj the year ended 

July SI, 1904. 



Date. 



Rookery. 



Number of seals 
killed for na- 
tives' food. 



Large 
young 

seals. 



Skins ac- 
cepted by 

lessees. 



Number 
of seals 
killed by 
lessees for 
skins (ac 
cepted). 



Total 
number 
of seals 

killed. 



1903. 

Aug. 31 

Oct. 19 

20 

21 

22 

24 

26 

29 

31 

Nov. 2 

4 

5 

8 

9 

11 

11 

16 

17 

22 

25 

1904. 

May 31 

June 1 

7 

11 

11 

16 

21 

23 

28 

30 

July 2 

6 

7 

9 

13 

14 

16 

20 

21 

23 

26 

28 

30 

31 



Miscellaneous, left over. 

Starava Artel 

North 

Zapadni watchmen 

East 

Zapadni 

Starava Artel 

North 

East 

Staraya Artel 

Zapadni watchmen 

North 

Zapadni 

East 

Staraya Artel 

Zapadni watchmen 

do 

East and North 

North 

East 



Zapadni watchmen 

Starava Artel 

do 

Zapadni watchmen 

Staraya Artel and East 

Staraya Artel and North 

Zapadni 

North, East, and Staraya Artel. 

do 

Zapadni 1 

North, East, and Staraya Artel. 
North, East, and Staraya Artel 

Zapadni 

North, East, and Staraya Artel. 

do 

Zapadni 

North, East, and Staraya Artel. 

do 

Zapadni 

North, East, and Starava Artel. 

do 

Zapadni 

North, Ea.st, and Staraya Artel. 
Zapadni 



Deduct 2 skins (see note) 
Total 



500 
2 



500 
2 



498 



22 

29 

15 

116 

209 

92 

144 

46 

70 

66 

73 

18 

129 

111 

25 

99 

93 

23 

82 

5 



1,498 



1 

40 
68 

2 
26 

6 
36 
82 
61 

2 

2 
&4 
22 
11 
42 

2 

2 
13 

4 
20 

2 

26 

5 

2 

22 

29 

15 

116 

209 

92 

144 

46 

70 

66 

73 

18 

129 

111 

25 

99 

93 

23 

82 

5 



1,998 

2 



1,498 



SUMMARY, 

Number on hand at end of season 1, 996 

Deduct left from fjrevious season 1 

Killed during season of 1904 1, 995 

Killed for natives' food by Government agents 498 

Killed by company 1 , 497 

Note. — A discrepancy of two skins was found this spring between the North American Commercial 
Company's record of skins taken and those recorded by me and duly receipted for. The acting com- 
pany agent claimed that he had by mistake given duplicate receipts on November 4, 1903, for two 
skins taken by watchmen at Zapadni. A recount of all the skins in salt was made on May 26, 1904, 
when only 494 skins were found, as against 496 by this record and the receipts. In view of all the facts 
I think there was an error, as claimed and admitted by the company, and will deduct two skins 
accordingly.— Ezra W. Clark, assistant agent. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



37 



Exhibit No. 4. 

Weights of sealskins taken on St. Paul Island during the sealing season ending August 1, 

1904. 

[Weights in pounds and quarters of pounds.] 



Date.. 


Rookery. 


4 


4i 


44 


4* 


5 


5i 


64 


6i 


6 


6i 


6i 


1904. 
June 10 


Tolstoi 










1 




4 

2 

36 

1 


4 

2 

20 


7 
2 
22 
3 
2 
23 
1 
45 
44 
85 
10 
45 
41 
89 
20 
26 
26 
32 
46 
54 
11 
20 
17 
34 
3 
38 
50 
45 
2 
7 
34 
13 
54 


7 
'"'26 


6 


15 


do 










2 


20 


Reef 














21 


20 


Road skins 






1 




3 






21 


Tolstoi 




1 

9- 

2 

33 

39 

38 

8 

28 

33 

66 

10 

16 

32 

38 

37 

48 

15 

21 

20 

38 

3 

30 

19 

41 

....„ 

27 
12 
59 




25 


Northeast Point 






2 


8 


9 


9 

1 
11 
14 
11 

5 

9 
10 
19 

3 
10 

4 
11 
12 
32 

1 

'J 

10 


19 
2 
21 
49 
38 
7 
58 
30 
70 
16 
30 
16 
34 
34 
55 
11 
17 
21 
21 
1 

35 
26 
33 


22 

4 

32 

52 

48 

6 

41 

30 

70 

7 

30 

19 

44 

28 

43 

12 

18 

15 

16 

1 

25 

28 

29 

1 

4 

39 

• 7 

44 


3 


26 








4 


27 


Reef . .. 










2 
12 
14 

6 
21 

7 
24 

6 
10 

1 
20 

9 
24 

4 

6 

2 

2 


40 


29 








1 

1 
1 
5 


5 
3 
1 
5 


44 


July 1 






55 


2 


Tolstoi 






10 


4 


Reef 


4 


48 


5 




48 


7 








2 


7 
5 
3 
1 
10 
5 
4 


66 


8 


Tolstoi 






17 


9 


Reef 






2 


28 


11 








24 


14 








"3" 


46 


15 


Reef 


33 


16 








52 


18 


Tolstoi 










19 


Reef 






2 

1 


2 
...... 


20 


20 








36 


22 








48 


23 


Tolstoi 








6 


25 








1 
2 

1 


2 

7 


12 
'I 


12 
16 
14 


31 


26 








50 


27 








64 


27 








2 


28 


Tolstoi 










1 
4 
3 
13 


2 
20 

8 
27 


5 
17 
15 
53 


5 


29 












39 


30 


Reef 






1 
6 


■■'3' 


41 


31 








48 




Total 










5 


6 32 


72 


233 


286 


776 


741 


9'51_ 


764 


949 













Rookery. 



8* 



ToLstoi 

do 

Reef 

Road skins 

Tolstoi 

Northeast Point . . . 

Polovina 

Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point . . . 

Tolstoi 

Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point . . . 

Tolstoi 

Reef 

Northeast Point . . . 

Zapadni 

Reef 

Northeast Point . . . 

Tolstoi 

Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point ... 

Tolstoi 

Zapadni 

Reef and Gorhatch 
Northeast Point . . . 

Polovina 

Tolstoi 

Zapadni 

Reef 

Northeast Point . . . 

Total 



697 



512 



465 



280 



318 



147 



2 


2 


2 






6 


3 


6 


5 


7 


'"'5' 


2 


7 


5 


1 


3 


6 


4 


4 


1 


2 


2 


1 




3 


5 

1 



82 



38 



ALASKAN SEAL FI8HEEIES. 



Weights of nealskins taken on St. Paul Island during the sealing season ending August 1, 

1904— Contmned. 



Date. 


Rookery. 


9i 


9^ 


9* 


10 


lOJ 


m 


m 


11 


11? 


Hi 


1904. 
June 10 


Tolstoi 


2 

1 
1 
2 

i 

3 






3 


1 


1 
1 




9 






15 


do 


2 

1 
1 


1 


...... . 






20 


Reef 

Tolstoi 




1 




2 






21 


1 


2 

1 
1 
3 










25 


Northeast Point 


1 


1 










27 


Reef 


2 
3 

1 


...... 








1 


29 


Zapadni 


2 


1 

2 


1 








Julv 1 


Northeast Point 


4 
1 

5 
2 
2 
1 
2 
2 

1 
1 

7 
3 








2 


Tolstoi 






1 






4 


Reef 


...... 

1 


2 

1 


1 
2 














5 


Zapadni 




1 




1 






7 


Northeast Point 




1 


8 


Tolstoi 


















9 


Reef 




1 






i 










11 


Northeast Point 


1 












14 


Zapadni 


















15 


Reef 


2 
3 


















16 


Northeast Point 


i 


2 




2 




1 






18 


Tolstoi 






19 


Reef 


i 


















20 


Zapadni 


1 
2 
1 








1 
1 


j 






22" 


Northeast Point 


1 


7 


2 


1 








23 


Tolstoi 








26 


Zapadni 


2 
2 
1 














26 


Reef and Gorbatch 


1 
4 


2 
1 
1 

1 


2 


"'"'i' 


1 


1 






27 


Northeast Point 






27 


Polo vina 




] 






28 


Tolstoi 










.1 






29 


Zapadni 


1 
2 


2 
3 












30 


Reef 


4 




2 


1 


i 1 








Total 








53 


35 


19 


25 


10 


14 


4 


9 




2 









Exhibit No. 5. 
Statistics of killings, St. Paul Island, 1904- 



Date. 


Rookery. 


Ani- 
mals 
killed. 


Dismissed. 


Branded. 


Per cent 


Large. 


Small. 


2 years. 


3 years. 


killed. 


1904. 
June 10 


Tolstoi 


71 

48 
247 

33 
141 

38 
366 
414 
-477 

89 
400 
386 
621 
124 
270 
281 
375 
349 
588 
107 
180 
258 
423 

50 
297 
387 
483 

17 

61 
301 
245 
426 
140 


14 

9 
45 
20 
28 
24 
67 
11 
34 
34 

9 
18 

8 
14 
13 

7 

13 
18 
10 
12 

b 

29 
4 
25 
42 
35 
11 
16 
25 
14 
22 
5 


4 

4 

8 

3 

53 

15 

100 

110 

204 

28 

147 

194 

245 

70 

66 

164 

154 

136 

271 

18 

43 

185 

442 

17 

221 

392 

569 






79 


15 


do 

Reef 

Tolstoi 

Northeast Point 






78 


20 
21 
25 


92 

is' 

69' 

57 
194 

3 
33 
36 
61 
11 
34 
39 
52 
50 
88 
14 
11 
23 
72 

6 
48 
60 
85 


41 

1 

10 

3 

30 

28 

90 

1 

22 

11 

38 

6 

8 

13 

23 

15 

43 

8 

1 

5 

20 

il' 

20 

44 

1 

4 

26 

18 

20 

4 


57 
57 
56 


26 
27 
29 


Polovina 

Reef 

Zapadni 


47 
68 
66 


July 1 


Northeast Point 


47 


2 


Tolstoi 


67 


4 


Reef 


65 


5 


Zapadni . . . . 


59 


7 


Northeast Point 


64 


8 


Tolstoi 


55 


9 


Reef 


69 


11 


Northeast Point 


55 


14 
15 
16 


Zapadni 

Reef 

Northeast Point 


50 
61 

58 


18 
19 


Tolstoi 

Reef and Gorbatch 


61 
76 


20 
22 


Zapadni 

Northeast Point 


54 
42 


23 


Tolstoi 


64 


25 


Zapadni 


49 


26 


Reef and Gorbatch 


42 


27 


Northeast Point 


40 


27 


Polovina 

Tolstoi 


68 


28 
29 


13 
249 
133 
245 
302 


5 
49 

37 
66 

7 


61 
46 


30 


Reef and Gorbatch 


64 


31 




66 


Aug. 9 


Reef and (iorbatoh 


30 










Total 


8,693 


641 


4,794 


1,320 


568 









ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



39 



Exhibit No. 6. 
Census of breeding bulls and cotvs, St. Paul Island, 1904. 



Rookery. 



Zapadni 

Little Zapadni. 
Zapadni Reef. . 

Tolstoi 

Tolstoi Cliffs... 

Lagoon 

Ketovi 

Amphitheater. 

Lukanin 

Little Polovina 



Harems 
(bulls). 



250 
100 
46 
149 
38 
24 
69 
12 
51 
21 



Cows 
(pups). 



9, 957 
3,983 
1,091 
5,934 
1,571 
1,084 
2,147 

458 
2, 020 

941 



Rookery. 



Polovina Cliffs.. 

Polovina 

Gorbatch Cliffs . 

Gorbatch 

Ardiguen 

Reef 

Northeast Point 
Sea Lion Rock a. 

Total 



Harems CoWs 
(bulls), (pups). 



40 

72 

12 

161 

15 

286 

454 

67 



1-.412 
3,691 
481 
6,014 
565 
11, 391 
18,557 
2,7a5 



1,857 



74,002 



a Harems were estimated on basis of average harem. 39.83. Pups actually counted on Sea Lion Rock. 

Exhibit No. 7. 
Counts of rookeries, St. Paid Island, season of 1904- 

ARDIGUEN. 



Date. 



1904, 
June 6 . . . 
Junes ... 
June 13 . . 
June 15 . . 
June 18 . . 
June 19 . . 
June 23 . . 
June 29 . . 



Bulls. 



"Quit- 
ters." 



Cows. 



Date. 



1904 
July 3... 
July 8 . . . 
July 12.. 
July 15 . . 
July 17 . . 
Julv 23 . . 
July 25 . . 



Bulls "Quit- 
"""^- ters." 



Harems. 



Cows, 



12 


200 


13 


328 


13 


339 


15 




14 


293 


13 


220 


14 


190 



AMPHITHEATER. 



2904, 
June 1 ... 
June 8 . . . 
June 9... 
June 10.. 
June 11.. 
June 12 . . 
June 13.. 
June 15.. 
June 16.. 
June 17. . 
June 18.. 
June 19 . . 
June 20 . . 
June 21 . . 
June 22 . . 
June 23 . . 
June 24 . . 
June 26.. 
June 27 . . 
June 28.. 
June 29 . . 
June 30.. 



5 
5 
5 
8 
9 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 

11 

10 

11 


2 
2 
3 
1 

1 




1 








































i" 

1 
1 


1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

2 
4 
4 
6 

8 
7 
8 
9 

, 


i 

1 
1 

1 
1 

2 
4 
5 
14 
27 
32 
51 
53 



1904 
JulV 1 . . . 
July 2... 
Julys... 
July 4 . . . 
July 5... 
July 7 . . . 
July, 8... 
July 9... 
July 10.. 
July 12.. 
July 13.. 
July 14.. 
Julv 17.. 
July 18 . . 
July 19.. 
Jiily 20.. 
Julv 22 . . 
July 24.. 
July 27 . . 
July 29.. 
July 31.. 



11 




9 


11 


1 


10 


10 


2 


10 


10 


2 


10 


11 




10 


11 




10 


12 




11 


12 




I'l 


12 




11 


12 




11 


12 




12 


12 




12 


12 




11 


13 




11 


14 


2 


12 


13 




13 


13 


1 


12 


14 




13 


13 




13 


13 




11 


10 




10 



87 
103 
115 
137 
155 
214 
244 
266 
281 
267 
303 
296 
234 
221 
218 
220 
112 
125 
147 
105 
,146 



GORBATCH. 



1904. 
June 6 


104 
117 

128 


11 
13 
11 


' 




1904. 

June23 

July 15 


138 
160 


5 

6 


53 
151 


137 


June 13 








June 19 


21 


25 , 





40 



ALASKAN SEAL B1SHER1E8. 



Counts of rookeries, St. Paul Maud, season of 1904 — Continued. 

GORBATCH CLIFFS. 



KETOVI. 



Date. 


Bulls. 


•'Quit- 
ters." 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Date. ! Bulls. 


" Quit- 
ters." 


Harems. 


Cows. 


1904. 
June 6 


10 

11 
11 
12 
11 
11 


3 






1904. 

Julys 12 

July 12 10 

July 15 13 

July 17 13 

Julv 23 13 

Julv 25 1 10 


1 

i' 


12 
10 
12 
11 
18 
11 


267 


June 13 






249 

247 

168 
135 


June 19 

June 23 

June 29 

Julv 3 


1 
2 
3 
1 


2 
4 
10 
10 


2 

9 

59 

122 









1904 
June 7... 
June 8... 

June 9 

June 19.. 



. 




36 


11 


39 


18 


42 


15 


51 


10 



1904, 
June 22.. 
June 28.. 
July 9 . . . 
July 13.. 



54 


12 


58 


6 


70 


6 


75 


3 



21 


41 


39 


152 


61 


1,087 


69 





LUKANIN. 



1904 
June 7 ... 
June 8 . . . 
June 9... 
June 10.. 
June U . . 
June 12 . . 
Ji»ne 13 . . 
June 15 . . 
June 16 . . 
June 17 . . 
June 18 . . 
June 19 . . 
June 20.. 
June 21 . . 
June 22 . . 
June 23 . . 
June 24 . . 
June 26 - . 
June 27 . . 
June 28 . . 
June 29 . . 
June 30 . . 



41 
42 
42 
44 
43 
45 
45 
46 
43 
47 


5 
2 
4 
3 
4 
2 
4 
3 
2 
4 








































1 


1 


50 


3 


1 


1 


48 


5 


4 


4 


52 


8 


3 


8 


49 


11 


5 


16 


51 


9 


8 


23 


52 


7 


12 


42 


51 


3 


13 


51 


53 


4 


19 


106 


55 


3 


22 


145 


53 


3 


23 


178 


53 


4 


28 


260 


53 


7 


28 


293 



1904 
Julvl... 
Julv 2... 
Julv 3... 
Jury4... 
July 5... 
Julv 7... 
Julys... 
Julv 9... 
July 10.. 
July 12.. 
J)ilv 13.. 
July 14.. 
Julv 17.. 
July 18.. 
July 19.. 
July 20.. 
Julv 22.. 
Jnly 24.. 
July 27.. 
July 29.. 
July 31 . . 
August 9 



410 

500 

548 

558 

680 

1,030 

1,063 

1,123 

1.075 

1,206 

1,256 

1,248 

1,096 

1,046 

951 

790 

702 

662 

645 

442 

702 



LAGOON. 



1904 
June 7... 
June 14 . . 
June 19.. 



16 
24 
26 


9 
2 
2 










2 


2 



1904 
Julv 4... 
July 8 . . . 
Julv 13.. 



27 


2 


28 


2 


29 


1 



263 
437 



MORJOVl, EAST SIDE NORTHEAST POINT. 



1904 
June 16 . . 
June 24 . . 
JuueSO.. 



17 


3 


17 


3 


21 


3 



1904. 
July 6.... 
Julv 16 . . 



308 



VOSTOSHNI, WEST SIDE NORTHEAST POINT. 



1904 
June 16.. 
June 24 . . 
June 30.. 



29 
36 


6 
8 






i.5 


23 


42 


3 


27 


190 



1904. 
Julv 6..., 
July 16... 



NORTHEAST POINT. 



48 


8 


42 


52 




48 



1904. 
June 16 . . . 



376 



45 



13 



1904. 
July 17... 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



41 



Counts of rookeries, St. Paid Island, season of 1904 — Continued, 

POLO VINA. 



Date. 


Bulla. 


"Quit- 
ters." 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Date. Bulls. 


"Quit- 
ters." 


Harems. 


Cows. 


1904. 


62 
72 


5 
5 






1904. 
July 1 72 


19 


39 
72 




June 24 


17 


70 


July 16 89 


^ 





POLOVINA CLIFFS. 



1904. 

June 9 

June 24 . . . 
Julyl .... 



5 
139 



1904. 
July 7... 
July 16 . . , 



LITTLE POLOVINA. 



1904. 
June 13... 
June 24 . . . 
July 1 . . . . 



1904. 

June 7 

June 14... 
June 19 . . . 



1904. 

'> July 7.... 

26 II July 16... 

146 :1 

il 



1904. 
Julv 4.... 
Julv 8.... 
Julv 13 . . . 



42 




30 


43 




38 


42 


3 


38 



356 



REEF. 


1904. 


179 


42 






1904. 
July 15 


308 


10 


286 












TOLSTOI. 


1904. 


120 
136 


4 






1904. 

June 19 

July 13 


150 
169 


6 


18 
149 


33 


June 14 


1 


1 










TOLSTOI CLIFFS. 






* 





390 

704 

1,201 



ZAPADNI. 


1904. 
June 14 


201 


9 


2 


2 


1904. 
July 14 


281 


4 250 

1 


LITTLE ZAPADNI. 


1904. 
June 14 


73 


10 


1 


1 


1904. 
July 14 


110 


100 




ZAPADNI REEF. 


1904. 

June 14 

July 5 


37 
50 


2 


1 

38 


1 
350 


1904. 
July 14 


50 


4 


46 





42 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

Exhibit No. 8. 

Divinon of iiativex' earnings, St. Punf IMand, Ahiaht, seimm of 1904. 

By 11,132 fur-seal skins, at 50 cents |5, 566. 00 

To 21 fir8t-clas8 s^hares, at $174.50 each 3, 664. 50 

To 6 second-class shares, at 1139.65 each 837. 90 

To 4 third-class shares, at $104.70 each 418. 80 

To 5 fourth-class shares, at $69.80 each 349. 00 

To 7 special shares 295. 80 



5, 566. 00 

Firxt-dass shares. — Twenty-one men, at $174.50 each, as follows: Nicoli Bogadanoff, 
Karp Buterin, Jacob Kochutin, Nicoli Krukoff, Simeon Melovidoff, Simeon Nozekoff, 
Theodore Sedick, Dorofay Stepetin, John Stepetin, Peter Tetoff, A. Bourdukofsky, 
George Kotchergin, John Kochutin, Alex. Merculieff, Parfiri Pankoff, Necon Shabo- 
lin, Elary Stepetin, Neon Tetoff, Rev. John E. Orloff, John Krukoff, George Shiseni- 
koff. 

Second-class shares. — Six men, at' $139.65 each, as follows: Peter Bourdukofsky, 
Nicoli Gromoff, Metrofan Krukoff, John Fratis, jr., Innokenty Sedick, Zahar Tetoff. 

Third-class shares.— Four men, at $104.70 each, as follows: Michael Kushin, Trefan 
Kochutin, Stepan Rookavishnikoff, John Merculieff. 

Fourth-class shares. — Five men, at $69.80 each, as follows: John Fratis, sr., Michael 
Kozloff, Paul Koshevnikoff, Alex. Galaktioneff, Constantine Buterin. 

Special-clas.'< shares. — Seven men, as follows: Nicoli Kozloff, $30; Vlass Pankoff, 
$30; Yvanally Kozeroff, $30; Fedor Kochutin, $30; Alexander Melovidoff, $75.80; 
Nicoli Krukoff (fii-st chief), $50; Jacob Kochutin (second chief), $50. 

St. Paul Island, August 10, 1904. 
I hereby certify that the above division was made by me in the manner detailed 
above, after conference with the representative of the North American Commercial 
Company and the native chiefs on this island. 

W. I. Lembkey, 
Agent in Charge Seal Fisheries. 



St. Paul Island, August 10, 1904. 
1 hereby certify that the amounts as above stated, representing the division of St. 
Paul Island for the season of 1904, will be placed to the credit of the respective 
natives on the books of the North American Commercial Company. 

J. C. Redpath, 
Agent North American Commercial Company. 



\ St. Paul Island, August 10, 1904. 

We hereby approve the division for St. Paul Island for the season of 1904, as above 
detailed, for and on behalf of the natives of this island. 

Nicoli Krukoff, First Chief. 

Jacob Kochutin, Second Chief. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHEEIES. 

Exhibit No. 9. 

Cenms of St. Paul Island, June SO, 1904. 



43 



Name. 



Bogadanoff, Nicoli 

Bogadanoff, Uleta 

Bogadanoff, Agrafina . . . 
Bourdukofsky, Apollon . 

Bourdukofsky , Peter 

Bourdukofsky, Uleta 

Buterin, Karp 

Buterin, Parascovia 

Buterin, Oonstantine 

Mazeekin, Wassalisa 

Fratis, John 

Fratis, Akalina 

Fratis, John, jr. (by for- 
mer wife). 

Fratis, Agrafina 

Fratis, Simeon 

Fratis, Ouliana 

Fratis, Majtha 

Galaktioneff, Alexander 
Galaktioneff, Lukeria — 

Galaktioneff, Anna 

Galaktioneff, Mary 

Galaktioneff, Matrona .. 

Gromoff, Nieoli 

Gronioft", Ouliana 

Stepetin, Pavla 



Relation. 



Volkoff, Tecon 

Stepetin, Elary, jr 

Kochutin. Jacob 

Kochutin, Alexandra . . . 

Koehutin, Theodore 

Kochutin, Larion 

Mandregan, Innokenty . 

Mandregan, >.ekifer 

Koshevnikott, Paul 

Koshevnikoff, Mary 

Kochutin, John 

Kochutin, Claudia 

Kochutin. Nieanor 

Kochutin, Erena 

Vickiloff, Alexander 

Kochutin, Trefan 

Kochutin, Parascovia . . , 

Kochutin, Eupheme 

Kotchergin, George 

Kotchergin, Agafia 

Emanoff, Mary , 

Kozloft', Michael , 

Kozloff, Parascovia 

Kozloff, Nicoli 

Serebrinikoff, Ripsimia 

KrukofY,John 

Dyakanoff, Andrew 

KrukofF, Nicoli 

Krukoff, Catherine . ... 

Krukofl.Metrofan . 

Krukoff, Eustinia 

Emanoff, Alexai 

Kushin, Michael 

Kushin, Mary 

Kushin, Nestor 

Hanson, John 

Hopoff, Nekita 

Melovidoff, Alexander. 

Melovidoff, Salome 

Melovidoff, Antone 

Melovidoff, Alexandra. 

Melovidoff", Altai 

Melovidoff, Simeon 

Melovidoff, Alexandra. 
Melovidoff, Margaret . . 
Melovidoff, Christopher 



Husband . 

Wife 

Niece 

Father.... 

Son 

Daughter. 
Husband . 

Wife 

Son 

Orphan... 
Husband . 

Wife 

Son 



Age 
(years). 



32 



Daughter 

Son j 10 

Daughter I... 

do l... 

Husband 32 

Wife |... 

Stepdaughter. |... 

Daughter |... 

do 

Husband 

Wife 

Adop'ddaugh 
ter. 



Adopted son.. 

....do 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

do 

Orphan 

do '. 

Hu.sband 

Wife 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Stepson 

Husband 

Wife , 

Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Cousin 

Son 

Mother 

Brother 

Cousin 

Widower 

Stepson 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Nephew 

Son 

Mother 

Nephew 

do 

Orphan 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

Son 



36 



33 



18 



10 



9 
'36'! 



42 



Name. 



Melovidoff, Alexander.. 
Melovidoff, Simeon, jr .. 
Melovidoff', Alexandra. . 
Merculieff, Alexander .. 

Mereulieft', Agafia 

Merculieff, Paul 

Merculieff'. Auxenia 

Merculieff, Terenty 

Merculieff', Paul 

Nozekort', Simeon 

Nozekoft', Avdotia 

Nozekoff, Mary 

Kozeroff, Ivanally 

Kozeroff , Sandulia 

Kozeroff, Alexandra 

Pankoff", Parfiri 

Pankoff, Vlass 

Pankoff, Martha 

Ri Kikavishnikoff, Stepan 
Rookavishnikoff, Eliza- 
beth. 

Sedick, Theodore 

Sedick, Martha 

Sedick, Innokenty 

Sedick, Mary 

Sedick, Matrona 

Sedick, John 

Shabolin, Necon 

Shabolin , Foecla 

Shabolin, Agrafina 

Shabolin, Varvara 

Shabolin, Matrona 

Shabolin, Daniel 

Shane, Elifery 

Stepetin, Dorofay 

Stepetin, Luboff 

Stepetin, Chionia 

Stepetin, Au.xenia 

Stepetin, Catherine 

Stepetin, Elary 

Stepetin, Anna 

Stepetin, Agnes 

Stepetin, Nicoli 

Stepetin, John 

Stepetin, Vera 

Stepetin, Vassili 

Stepetin, Vassili 

Shisenikoff, George 

Shisenikoff, Ouliana 

Shisenikoff", Marv 

Tetoff,Neon 

Tetoff, Agrafina 

Tetoff, Simeon 

Tetoff, Mary, , 

Tetoff, Demetri 

Tetoff, Irena 

Tetoff, Agrafina 

Tetoff, John , 

Tetoff, Peter , 

Tetoff, Mary , 

Kochutin, Varvara 



Relation. 



Age 
(years). 



28 



Son 

....do... 

Niece 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

.Son j 1 

Brother ! 14 

Husband 27 

Wife 

Daughter \ 

Half-brother .1 16 

Half-sister ! 

do 

Father I 41 

Son 16 

Daughter 

Hu.sband 23 

Wife '... 



Nedarazo, Marv 

Tetoff, Zahar 

Tetoff, Daria 

Tetoff, Peter 

Orloff, Rev. J. E 

Orloff, Nicoli 

Orloff, Alexandra 

Nedarazoff, Catherine 

Merculieff, John 

Merculieff, Avdotia 



Husband 56 

Wife L... 

Son j 19 

Daughter 

do L... 

Son 7 

Husband 37 

Wife 

Daughter. 

do... 

.....do... 

Son 

Stepson . . 
Husband , 

Wife 

Daughter 

do 

do I... 

Husband 40 

Wife 

Daughter 

Son 1 

Husband 24 

Wife 

Son 

Nephew 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Son 

Daughter 

do 

Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Adopted 
daughter. 

Orphan 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Father 

Son 

Daughter 

Widow 

Husband 

Wife 



34 



12 



39 



25 



18 



31 



44 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Census of St. Paul Island, June 30, 1904 — Continued. 

WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. 







Age 

(years). 






Age. 
(years) 


Name. 


Relation. 




"3 

s 


Name. 


Relation. 


-3 


,2 


Kochutin, Zenobia 

Kochutin, Innokenty... 

Kochutin, Mark 

Krukoff, Anna 

Krukoff, Mary 

Maiidregan, Zova 

Krukoff, Feotesta 

Krukoff, Condrat 

Emanoff, Mary 

EmanotT, Eneka 

Emanoff, Peter 

Peeshnikoff, Wassalisa.. 


Spinster 




36 

"38' 

7 

17 

38 

""26' 
'"44" 


Seduli, Elizabeth 






63 


Son 


1 

9 


Orphan 

Granddaugh- 
ter. 


14 




Nephew 

Widow 


Stepetin, Marena 

Artomonoff, Alexandra. 
Vickiloff Alexandra 


6 


Daughter j 


50 


Orphan i 


4 H r> n t rl 




9 


Widow - - - - 


rlnnirhtor 




Son 


14 


Balakshin, Matrona 

Rookavishnikoft', Para.s- 

covia. 
Shaposhnikoff, Paras- 

covia. 




54 


Widow 






15 


Son 


3 


Spinster 






do 

Widow 


37 















RESIDING ELSEWHERE. 



Krukoff, Lukeria .. 
Mandregan, Mary . 
Melovidoff, Mareia 
Sedick, Avdotia ... 



Zaharoff, Fedosia . . 
Popoff, Alexandra . 
Tetoff, Sophia 



RECAPITULATION. 

Number of males 80 

Number of females 81 

Total number of residents 161 

Deaths during fiscal year 4 

Departures ' 2 

Births during fiscal year 7 

Arrivals .' 1 

E.XHIBIT No. 10. 

Statement of expenditures of North American Commercial Company, for natives, St. Paul 

Island. 



North American Commercial Company, 

St. Paul Island, August 12, 1904. 
Dear Sir: In compliance with your verbal request of August 10, 1904, we submit 
you the accompanying statement of amounts expended for maintenance of widows and 
orphans for year ending May 31, 1904, number of widows and orphans so supported, 
amounts expended for physician, amounts expended for medical supplies, number 
of native dwellings, amount expended for repairs of same, amounts expended for 
maintenance of school, and amount expended for maintenance of place of religious 
worship. 

The church building on this island has always been the property of the Russian 
Church, and that body has always maintained their building. 

We have made the statement as complete as the time and data at hand will permit, 
but we believe the figures to be incomplete, and for further information refer you to 
the North American Commercial Company at San Francisco. 
The figures submitted are given the Department in confidence. 
Very respectfully, 

J. C. Redpath, Age^it. 
Mr. W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent in Charge Seal Islands, St. Paul Island, Alaska. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 45 

Statement to Mr. W. I. Lembkey of expenditures by North American Commercial Com- 
pany on St. Paul Island for the following accounts, for the year ending May 31,1904- 

Widows and orphans: 

Amountexpended for support of 8 widows, 2 spinsters, and 20 orphans. $1, 927. 35 
40 pounds mixed candy, 1 pound each to each of the 20 orphans on 

name days and birthdays, at 20 cents 8. 00 

40 pounds mixed nuts, 1 pound each to each of the 20 orphans twice 

a year, i. e., on name days and birthdays, at 25 cents 10. 00 

Physicians and medical supplies: 

Salary of physician 1, 200. 00 

Board and lodging for phj'sician, 52 weeks, at |13 a week 676. 00 

Medical supplies consumed (at San Francisco cost) 430. 94 

SVoVV tons coal consumed by dispensary, at |20 a ton 66. 92 

Native dwellings: 

Materials expended for repairs of native dwellings (at San Francisco 
cost), exclusive of cost of labor and materials derived from demolish- 
ing a building 49. 42 

School supplies consumed (San Francisco cost) 19. 34 

32 2 40 tons coal consumed by school, at %20 a ton 75. 85 

Salary and mess allowance to school teacher. (The regular teacher 
was in San Francisco from Aug. 17, 1903, to June 6, 1904, on vaca- 
tion) 950. 00 

Salary substitute school teacher for 9 months and 13 days 471. 66 

Board and lodging substitute teacher from Aug. 8, 1903, to May 31, 

1904, 51 (6-ic) weeks, at $13 per week 663.00 

Eecapitulation: 

Expended for widows and orphans 1, 943. 35 

Expended for physician and medical supplies 2, 373. 86 

Expended for repairs, native dwellings 49. 42 

Expended for school supplies and teachers 2, 179. 85 

Total 6, 546. 48 



Exhibit No. 11. 

Report of Assistant Agent Chichester, St. Paul. 

St. Paul Island, Alaska, June 5, 1904. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit my report of the condition of affairs on St. Paul 
Island during the period of my administration, which extended from August 17,, 
1903, to June 5, 1904. 

arrival and departure of vessels. 

After the departure of the company's steamer on August 17 a number of vessels 
called at the island. 

On August 20 H. M. S. Shearunler arrived, and her commander, Captain Umfre- 
ville, in behalf of himself and officers, asked permission to visit a rookery. They 
were shown a portion of Garbotch. 

On August 25 U. S. S. Thetis landed Senator Dietrich, of Nebraska, and Mr. Ham- 
ilton, assistant commissioner of education for Alaska. They remained a day and a 
night, and were shown as much of the rookeries and island as their brief stay would 
permit. 

By the U. S. S. Bear on her August visit there returned here, with your permission, 
for permanent residence Mrs. Alexander Artomonof, who has been absent for several 
years. As she is a widow I at once informed the company's agent that she would 
have to be supported by the company. He agreed to do so, but filed the following 
protest with the request that the matter be carried to the Department for settlement. 
This letter I sent you per last mail, November 1, 1903. 



46 



ALASKAN^ SEAL FISHERIES. 



St. Paul Island, August 29, 1903. 
Dear Sir: As regards- matter of the arbitrary return and placing the burden of sup- 
port upon the company of Mrs. Alexander Artomonof (widow), I hereby enter pro- 
test for following reasons: 

First. Said widow (not native of this island), against the wishes of this company, 
left their support, took all her belongings with her with the avowed purpose of spend- 
ing her remaining years elsewhere. ( Approved at your office. ) After being reported 
destitute she is returned to us by you. 

Second. It seems to me under this ruling all natives (former residents) as they 
become infirm and destitute in other parts of the world may return to the support of 
the company at will, thereby imposing an unexpected and unjust burden. 

Third. In my reading of the terms of our lease I am unable to determine on what 
grounds this action has been taken and desire to be enlightened. We have no desire to 
evade any of our obligations to the Government, or the people, as therein applied. 
Yours, faithfully. 

North American Commercial Co., 
W. C. Allis, Agent. 
Mr. H. D. Chichester, 

Treasury Agent. 

In addition to a considerable amount of household stuff, Mrs. Artomonof brought 
back with her |220 in cash. 

Special thanks are due Captain Wild, commanding U. S. S. Bear, for many cour- 
tesies received. 



Date of 
arrival. 


Name of vessel. 


Date of 
depar- 
ture. 


Date of 
arrival. 


Name of vessel. 


Date of 
depar- 
ture. 


1903. 
Aug. 20 
Aug. 25 
Aug. 26 


H M S Shearwater' . . 


1903. 
Aug. 21 
Aug. 26 
Aug. 27 


1903. 
Sept. 21 
Oct. 21 
Nov. 1 


U. S. S. Bear 


1903. 
Sept. 22 
Oct. 23 


U S.S.Thetis 


U. S. S. Manning 


U. S. S. Bear 


U. S. S. Bear 


Nov. 1 









BRANDING PUPS. 

Having previously arranged everything for branding, on October 12 I made a 
drive of pups from the reef and secured about 700. Work at once began and was 
pushed forward as rapidly as possible, but when 274 pups had been branded a heavy 
storm of wet snow and rain came on, soaking the remaining pups and rendering 
them unfit for branding. They were reluctantly turned into the sea. From this 
time on the weather was so wet and unfavorable for branding and the reaching of 
the more distant rookeries by boat that further operations were abandoned for the 
season. 

COUNT OF DEAD PUPS. 

Late in the fall the rookeries were thoroughly gone over for dead pups, and the 
following is the result: 



1903. 
Oct. 29 
29 
29 
29 
29 
.30 
30 
30 



Rookery. 



Little Zapadnie 
Zapadui Reef... 

Zapadni 

Tolstoi Cliffs..., 

Tolstoi 

Ketovi 

Amphitheatre.. 
Lukannon 



Number 
of dead. 



1 

22 
152 
121 
234 

17 



Date. 



1903. 
Nov. 3 
3 
3 



Rookery. 



Garbotch 

Ardiguen 

Reef 

Polivina 

Little Polivina 

Total . . . . 



Number 
of dead. 



218 
13 

236 
.54 

18 



1,160 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



47 



KILLING PUPS BV THE NATIVES. 

While overhauling Ketovi rooker}^ for dead pups I ran across unmistakable signs 
that some one had been killing pups on that rookery. Returning to the village I 
called in the chief, told him whatl had seen, and turned over to him two pups' heads 
I found hidden in a crevice of the rock. The skulls were broken and the skin neatly 
trimmed in a circle behind the ears. There followed a meeting of the people and 
later on a committee waited on me, and I was informed that Alexander (yalaktenof 
and INIike Kushin, on the night of October 27 (just one day after a food kill of 150 
seals had been made), visited the 'rookery and killed the pups. Galaktenof and 
Kushin were both called in and admitted their guilt. They would give no reasons 
except that they wanted meat. Further questioning soon developed that pup killing 
has been a common practice with all the natives, and has gone on for years. 

With one or two exceptions, every native man on the island admitted of having 
killed from one to two pups each year. None over two. Their testimony was 
extremely conflicting, and being satisfied that the whole truth was not being told, and 
wishing to obtain accurate information of the amount of damage done, I endeavored 
to put them on oath. They refused to make any sworn statement whatever, were 
insolent and rebellious. Having no method at my command by which I could punish 
them all, except stopping their sugar, I adopted this weak measure. A few days 
later four men came and asked to be sworn, and a month later the rest fell into line and 
were put on oath, but as for determining the actual number of pups killed the infor- 
mation thus obtained was of no more value than that already secured. 

The following is the number of pups killed by each individual, as stated under oath: 



Name. 


Pups 
killed, 
1903. 


Pups 
killed, 
1902. 


Name. 


Pups 

killed, 

1903. 


Pups 

killed, 

1902. 


Apollon Bourdukofskv 



2 
2 
2 

2 
•> 




2 
1 
1 

2 
1 
2 
1 
1 


1 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 


John Kochooten 


2 
3 
1 

2 
2 


1 


Peter Bourdukofskv 


John M. Krukof 


2 


John Fralis, jr 


Mike Kozlof 





Paul Koshevuikof 


Trefan Kockooten 





Neon Tetof 


Stepan Rookavishnikof 

Alexander Galaktenof 

Zachar Tetof 









Simeon Nozekof 


1 


Inokentv Sediek 


1 


Nekon Shabolin 


2 


Dorafav Stepetin] 2 


Poriliri Pankof 


1 


Nikolai Krukof 





Ilary Stepetin 


1 1 


Jake Kochooten 


1 

2 
2 
2 
1 

1 
1 


Peter Tetof ... 


1 n 


Alexander Merculif (second 


John Stepetin 





2 


chief) 


George Shaisnikof 


3 


George Kochergin 




2 


Alexander Melevedof 


Fedor Sediek 







Total 




Karp Buterin 


43 


36 


Nikolai Bogadanof 











The school opened promptly on September 1, 1903, and was maintained until 
May 1, 1904. Twenty-three boys and 17 girls were in attendance. Mr. Lambert, 
who conducted the school this year, was painstaking and earnest in his work, and 
the scholars made good progress under his guidance. 

I inclose herewith Mr. Lambert's report. 



Pursuant to your verbal instructions, foxing was allowed for the period of one week 
and resulted in an entire failure. Fifteen blue and 5 white skins were obtained. 

The trapping season opened on November 23 with every condition most favorable 
for a successful catch. That it was a failure is entirely diie to the fact that the blue 
fox on this island is practically exterminated. What the causes are that led to this 
extermination I am unable to say. I have tried in every way to obtain information 
that would throw some light on the subject but to no purpose. 

After the close of the trapping season up to the present time not a week has gone 
by without natives visiting nearly all parts of the Island, and during this time but 
2 foxes have been seen. They wei-e at Northeast Point. Some tracks have been 
observed on the Reef and Tolstoi as well as at Zapadni. 



48 



ALASKAN SEAL li'ISHEKIES. 

Fox Division, St. Paul Inland, season 1903. 



Name. 


Locality. 


White. 


Blue. 


Amount. 


A. Bourdukol'sky 




1 


i" 

1 
1 
1 
2 
2 
1 
1 

2" 

2' 

1 


81.00 
5 00 


Constaiitiiie Buterin 




Karp Buterin 


do 




.5 00 


John Fratis. jr 


Village 




5 00 


John M. Krnkof 


do 




5 00 


Metrofan Knikof 


do 




10 00 


Nikolai Krnkof 


do 


1 


11 00 


Trefan Kochooten 


do :;;:::::::::::: 


5 00 


Mike Knshin 


North Shore 




5 00 


Mike Kozh)f 




1 
1 

i' 


1 00 


Jake Kochooten 


West Point 


1 00 


Alex. Merculif 


Halfway Point 


10 00 


Sim. Nozekof 


1 00 


Ilarv Stepetin 


Wreek (north shore) 


10 00 


Neon Tetof 


.5 00 










Total 


6 


15 


80 00 




■" 





IMPROVEMEXTS. 

In accordance with your instructions, I moved the Government boathouse. As 
you left the selection of a new site to me, I placed it alongside of the company's Point 
warehouse on the south side. This is the best possible place that could be found for 
it, as it is amply protected from the sea by the warehouse and wharf. I have also 
built wooden launching ways from the house to deep water, by means of which the 
boat can be launched at any tide and with little or no difficulty. 

Government house has been thoroughly renovated and painted inside and out. 
The boathouse and boat No. 2 have also received a coat of paint. 

A new calador was also constructed at the rear of the coal house. 

Early last fall the natives built a substantial addition to their club and library to 
accommodate a billiard table. Both the materials for the room and the table are a 
gift from Mr. Taylor of the North American Commercial Company. 

GENERAL HEALTH. 

The general health of the natives has been remarkably good. No epidemics have 
occurred and there has been but four deaths during the entire year. Three of these 
were old chronic cases. 

Births have outnumbered the deaths by 3, 7 children having been born, 3 males 
and 4 females. 

I inclose herewith report of the resident physician. 



Seals were scarce during the fall and early winter. Nine drives for food were made 
from the various rookeries and 1,853 seals killed. Quite a number of carcasses were 
frozen and put away at Northeast Point, and during the winter this supply of meat 
was steadily drawn upon. 

After each killing large numbers of gulls visited the ground and anything that was 
left by the natives in the shape of meat was speedily eaten. In fact Twas astonished 
at the short time required for these voracious birds to completely clean up a killing 
field. 

A small bunch of bachelors hung about the island all winter despite the fact that 
the ice shut us in completely for a week. 



By the death of Keonia Bourdukofsky and Zachar Sedick, two estates are to be 
divided. That of Zachar Sedick, amounting to $109 and interest for one year, at 4 
per cent, I have divided equally between his two sisters, Elizabeth Rookavishnikof 
and Avdotia Sedick. Elizabeth having a bank account, her portion has been added to 
it, while Avdotia's share has been placed to her credit on the company's books as an 
open account, they having refused to receive any more interest accounts. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 49 

(iUASS. 

The usual amount of quays has been brewed this winter — that is to say, nine-tenths 
■of the supar, three-foiirths of the jelly, and one-third to one-half of the flour issued 
to the natives has gone into the manufacture of intoxicating liquor. The result, as 
usual, has been deplorable. Women have been cruelly beaten, children inhumanly 
treated, interior of houses wrecked and endangered by fire from overturning lamps 
and stoves, and the life of the Government officer jeopardized. In fact, it was by 
the merest chance that I was not deliberately shot down by a drunken native as I 
entered his house to take him into custody for a murderous assault upon a neighbor. 
The following is a detailed account of the affair. 

I was called out at 1 o'clock in the morning of February 22 by Mrs. Jake Kochoo- 
ten. She was decidedly drunk and incoherent, but I managed to gather from her 
wild talk that her husband had either been killed or was being killed by Alexander 
Melevedof. Dressing hastily I ran to the house and found Jake alone. He had a 
nasty cut over his eye, was covered with blood and bruises, and presented a sorry- 
looking spectacle. The house was in the greatest disorder, chairs and tables over- 
turned and broken, lamp smashed, and carpet torn. Jake was exceedingly drunk, 
and all I could learn from him was that Alex. Melevedof had attempted to kill him 
with a knife. I immediately went in search of Melevedof, and with the aid of the 
second chief, who was also drunk, but could walk, I found him at the house of 
Vasalisa Peeshnikoff. I attempted to handcuff him, but he resisted so stoutly that 
in self-defense I was forced to use vigorous measures. During the struggle one of 
the handcuffs became locked, and in my hurry t had left the ke}" at hoine. I was 
therefore able to put the handcuff on one arm only. We then set out with him for 
the building used as a jail. Stopping a moment at the company's house for the key, 
I left the prisoner in charge of the second chief. He jiromptly hit the second chief 
over the head with the handcuff, broke away, and went home, where he loaded up 
his double-barreled shotgun, and, placing himself in the dark back room, where I 
could not see him as I came through the door, swore he would kill me the moment 
I entered the house. Melevedof's wife, who was also drunk, endeavored to take 
away the gun, but couldn't. Mary Koshenikof then came in, and between them the 
two women managed to get the gun away, and set it in the calador just as the second 
chief and myself came in. I again took Melevedof in charge, handcuffed his loose 
arm, and locked him up in the temporary jail. He was no sooner left alone than he 
kicked the sash out of the window and made his escape. I then handcuffed him 
with his hands behind him, secured his legs, and locked him up, and had no further 
trouble. In the morning I sentenced him to twenty-one daj^s on bread and water for 
drunkenness and lighting. His sugar had been previously stopped for the same cause. 

It was not until some days later that I learned of the attempt upon my life. The 
matter had been carefully hidden from me by the chiefs. I held an investigation 
and took the testimony of Melevedof's wife, son, and Mary Koshevnikof. All three 
tell substantially the same story. 

When drunk this man is perfectly lawless and filled with an insane desire to kill. 
He is a constant source of danger to the Government officer and the people, and I 
respectfully request that he be removed from the island permanently. 

This island stands in great need of a substantial jail. The building kindly loaned 
by the company for the purpose is entirely inadequate. 
Respectfully, 

H. D. Chichester, 
Assistant Agent, in cJiarge St. Paul Island. 

Mr. Walter I. Lembkey, 

Special Agent, Department of C'ommerce and Labor, in charge of Seal hlands. 



Report of resident physician, St. Paul, 1904. 

North American Commercial Company, 

St. Paid Island, Alaska, June 1, 1904. 
Sir: In compliance with your request I respectfully submit the following medical 
report for St. Paul Island for the vear beginning June 1, 1908, and ending May 
31, 1904: 

The general health has been very good, especially when you consider the care, or 
rather the lack of care, the natives take of themselves, as they will stand bareheaded 
in a snow storm to cool immediately after taking a steam batli. 

S. Doc. 98—05 4 



50 



ALASKAN -SEAL FISHERIES. 



During February and .Mareli of 1904 there was a slight epidemic; of bronchitis, and 
one new case of pulmonary tuberculosis developed, aside from whicli there lias been 
no contagious diseases on the island for the past year. 

Of all cases treated 75 per cent were gastro-intestinal, due to the irregular habits of 
the natives, while the majority of the remaining 25 per cent were of bronchial origin. 

The record of births and deaths for the year is, respectively, as follows: 

Births. — Salome Melovidov, son, Alfa, June 13, 190.'}; Daria Tettoff, daughter, 
Sophia, September 27, 1908; Maria Emanoff, son, Peter, October 11, 1903; Lukeria 
Galactionoff, daughter, Martha, October 17, 1903; LuI)off Stepetin, daughter, Cath- 
erine, December 6, 1903; Parascovia Kotchooten, son, iMipheme, January 7, 1904; 
Oulianna Shisenikoff, daughter, Mary, Februarv 25, 1904; Agrifina Tetoff, son, John, 
May 21, 1904. Total 8; 4 males, 4 females. 

Dealing. — Rufus Bonrdakofsky, 1 year, acute gastroenteritis, June 8, 1903; Zahar 
Sedick, 18 years, pulmonary tuberculosis, March 11, 1904; Kionia Bonrdakofsky, 43^ 
years, uremia with carcinomatous degeneration of large uterine fibroid and hemor- 
rhage, ]May 12, 1904; Sophia Tetoff, 8 months, enterocolitis. May 29, 1904; Ellen 
Krukoff, 28 years, pulmonary tuberculosis. May 31, 1904. Total 5; 2 males, 3 females. 
Respectfully, 

Mark A. Williamson, M. D. 

Mr. II. D. Chichester, 

Agent, Department of ('oiiniierce mid Lalxjr. I)i charge, St. Paul hlarid. 



School Report. 

St. Paul Island, Alaska, April £9, J904. 
Dear Sir: Following is the report of St. Paul Island School for the eight months 
commencing September 1, 1903, and ending April 29, 1904, inclusive: 



Class. 



1 


Fourth . 


1 


2 


....do... 


2 


3 


....do... 


3 


4 


Third... 


1 


5 


....do... 


2 


R 


....do... 


3 


7 


Second . 


1 


8 


....do... 


2 


9 


....do... 


3 


10 


....do... 


4 


11 


....do... 


5 


^?. 


....do... 


6 


13 


....do... 


7 


14 


....do... 


8 


15 


....do... 


9 


16 


First. . . . 


1 


17 


....do... 


2 


18 


....do... 


3 


19 


....do... 


4 


20 


....do... 


5 


21 


First 
primer. 


1 


22 


do ... 


2 


23 


....do... 


3 


24 


....do... 


4 


25 


....do... 


5 


26 


....do... 


6 


27 


Second 
primer. 


1 


28 


. ..do... 


2 


29 


....do... 


3 


30 


....do... 


4 



Pupils' names. 



Nicoli Kozlnff 

Theodore Kochooten 

Nekita HopotT 

Condiat Krukoff 

Eliferv Slume 

Vlassi'aiikolT 

Agraphona Fratis 

Matrona Sedick 

Pa via Stepetin 

Parascovia Rookovishnikoff 

Saiidulia Kozeroff 

Usteiiia Krukoff 

Antone .Melevidov 

Paul Mureulieff No. 1 

Simeon Fratis 

Alexandra Kozeroff 

Repseniia Seerebrinikoft' 

John Meezekin 

Larion Koi'hooten 

Nestor Kusliin 

.\ndrew Diakanoft' 

Mark Kochooten 

Neeoli (.)rloff 

Nekifor Mandregan 

Paul Mureulieff No. 2 

Alexandra N'ekoloff 

Anxenia Mureulieff 

Agnia Stepetin 

Chionia Stepetin 

Mary Emanoff 



155 
155 
153 
152 
152 
148 
151 
156 
152 
151 
77 
93 
156 
153 
155 
137 
146 
153 
156 
154 
152 

65 
146 
137 
145 

76 
152 

156 
149 
139 









o 






-«-» 






a 













o 












o 






o3 






(3 . 






OS 






"O <a 






K C 


>. 




Sm 


13 










S-s 


eS 


U, 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



51 



V. y 



?; 












o 
















0) 




-^ 




a. 




3 




ft 




o 




^ 




^ 




a 












'A 




31 


Second 




primer. 


Wl 


....do... 


;w 


....do... 


84 


....do... 


35 


....do... 


36 


....do... 


37 


....do... 


38 


Alpha- 




bet. 


39 


....do... 


•10 


....do... 



Pupils' nam I 



5 I Marv Nedarezoff. 



Mary Tetoff 

Oulianna Fratis 

Vassa Meezekin 

John Hanson 

Simeon Tetoff 

Vassely Stepetin 

Euphnally Kozeroff . 



Innokenty Mandregan 
Techan Volkoff 



Total 



155 
153 
163 
142 
154 
166 
156 

152 
148 



5, 740 



s 
o 
o 
o 

a) o 

3"E 



Q Q 



37 



Character of pupils' recitations: Marked good, 3; medium, 2: poor, 1; very poor, 0. 

GENERAL SUMMARY. 

Number of pupils enrolled (males 23, females 17) : 40 

-Average dally attendance -. 36{§l 

.■Vverage daily absences 3^% 

Average attendance 92 

Number of cases of tardiness 91 

Average age of pupils Hi 

Number of weeks of school 31 J 

Number of days of school 156 

The following is the statement of time of tuition and study throughout the eight 
school months: 9 o'clock a. m., calling the roll, five minutes; time for study, twenty- 
iive minutes; arithmetic, twenty-five minutes; spelling, fifteen minutes; recess, 
fifteen minutes ; fourth reader, twenty-five minutes ; third reader, twenty-five 
minutes; second reader, twenty-five minutes; first reader, twenty minutes. 1 o'clock 
p. m., primer class, first, twenty-five minutes; primer class, second, twenty-five 
minutes; alphabet, twenty minutes; calisthenics, ten minutes; slate work, forty 
minutes. Monday and Wednesday spelling, forty minutes; Tuesday and Thursday 
writing, forty minutes; Friday, reviews. 

Navies of books used. — Baldwin's Reader, John H. Walsh and Robinson Arithmetics, 
Sheldon's Speller, California Vertical Copy Books. 
Respectfully, 

W. E. Lambert, Teacher. 

W. C. Aelis, 

Agent North American Commercial Ageni. 



Exhibit No. 12. 
Certificate shipment sealskins, St. George, 1904. 

Division Special Agents"! Island of St. GIeorge, 

Form 17. j Bering Sea, Alaska, August 8, 1904. 

This is to certify that 1,996 fur-sealskins have this day been shipped on board the 
North American Commercial Company's steamer Kruger, consigned to the North 
American Commercial Company, San Francisco, Cal. 

Ezra W. Clark, 
Assistant Agent, St. George. 
K. A. Ahlin, Master W. H. Kruger. 



52 ALASKAN SKAL KISHKRIKS. 

ExiiiHiT No. i;!. 

Aijfnt C/arL's irport du ijair^s Imsiurn.t, St. (icoryr. 

Okfick ok Si'kciai, A(;knt, 
Dki'aktment of Co.m.me]«k and Lamoh, 

St. George Ji</(iinl, Alaska, AaynM S, IU04- 
, Dbak Sir: I t'urwuid this day uiidef several covers the tV)llo\vin(i;-iiieiitioned reports 
eoni-erniug thi' Inisiness conducted on this island under my sujiervision during the 
past year, to wit: Abstract of sealskins taken (in duplicate); weight of each sealskin 
taken during season; report of food seals killed during year; fox division, commu- 
nity fund, 1904; seal division, community fund, 1904; census of St. (ieorge natives, 
June 30, 1904; harem counts and rookery statistics, 1904; counts of live pups and 
dead pups, current season ; report of l)randing of young bachelor seals, 1904; state- 
ment of expenditures of North American Commercial Company maintaining school 
for native children the past year; expenditures of Xortli American Commercial Com- 
pany for physicians and medicines, 1904; statement of expenditures of North Ameri- 
can Commercial Company in providing for widows, orphans, and infirm, 1903-4; 
statement of expenditures of North American Commercial Company for repairs of 
native dwellings and house of religious worship, 1903-4; shipping receii>t for seal- 
skins shipped (in duplicate). 

In transmitting these reports 1 beg to say thattlie data embraced in them embodies 
about all the facts which I would end^ody in an extended report were I to make one. 
When I saw you in June I handed you some memoranda regarding tlie foxing of last 
winter, and to that I may add here that we were happily disappointed in getting a 
greater number of foxes than we expected to obtain, and especially greater than the 
indications early in the foxing season led us to expect. The foxes appeared in the 
autumn to be in an especially healthy and good condition, and that has characterized 
the condition of the fox herd for the whole year. Very few dead foxes have been 
observed, although especial attention has been given diiring the whole year to gath- 
ering information of casualties to these animals. 

My own observations and those of the natives, so far as I can ascertain, have been 
that the young foxes of this year are healthy, and that the litters are larger than 
were those of the year last passed. Yet in this connection it is i>roper to add that 
the number of foxes breeding near the village is fewer than last year. This is doubt- 
less owing to the fact that our first catch and killing of last year was of village foxes, 
so to speak, and those burrowing near the village. Also, the access to the burrows 
which they formerly used under the salt house (and other buildings grouped with 
it) was cut off and the foxes occupying there were killed. Tlie great majority of the 
foxes branded last winter, I believe, have their habitat and breeding grounds at 
remote places on the island. 

The young foxes — 10 pairs in number — which were desired for transfer to Kadiak 
or the islands near there were gotten withovit difficulty. Of the natives, 19 were 
engaged in catching them under the direction of the chief and second chief. The 
company agent paid these natives $20 in cash for the 20 foxes taken. 

The sealing season was concluded without notable incident after the completion 
of the branding of this island's quota of 200 bachelor 3-year-olds and 200 bachelor 
2-year-olds. Every effort was made to adhere in our taking of skins to the limit of 
52 pounds for skins. Naturally the company agent was desirous of getting the fid I 
quota allowed the company for the year, but I did not observe on his part any dis- 
position to do so in disregard of the limit as to size and weight. All tried to keep 
the selection of the seals knocked down to the limit of 5i jiounds; but it was not 
until near the close of the sealing season that I was able to so manage the selection 
as to avoid killing any under the size limited. Evidently the company would not 
have gotten its allowance of 2,000 skins on this island had the limit been strictly 
adhered to. This fact is significant in considering the steady diminution of the seal 
herd and in connection with the fact that this year's quota was less than two-thirds 
of the number taken here last year. It is fair to remember, however, that food skins 
were taken from July 31 to August 10, whereas no seals were killed this vear after 
July 31. 

The counts of pups and harems, tabulated statements of which are forwarded, fur- 
nish mournful evidence of the diminution of the breeding herd, irrespective of the 
falling off in young bachelors or killables. 

The great scarcity of breeding bulls on this island and the stead}- falling off in 
their number is particularly noteworthy. The action of the Department in provid- 
ing, through the branding of young male seals, for new blood to draw upon to 



ALASKAN SEAL FI8HEK1ES. 



53 



replenigh the stock of breeding bulls is timely. Yet if the pelagic sealers are per- 
mitted to continue tlieir depredations, this measure will fail utterly to accomplish the 
purpose and will servjs only to enrich the spoilers of our industry. 

The rookeries on this island were driven twice a week during the past season, with 
the exception of Zapadni. It is a question if this is not too often, especially with the 
fast driving which the natives are likely to make in rainy weather or when the seals 
from any cause are lively. On our last drive, which was made in a rainstorm, sev- 
eral of the seals were observed with abraided flippers and testes. This condition 
was observed by both Mr. Chechester and myself, and he ascribed it at the time to 
frequent driving. I mention it here to suggest inquiry and the remedy. I will add 
that the condition named was not noticed until our very last sealing. 

I must beg you to excuse these hastily prepared remarks. I would cheerfully have 
made an. extended report had I thought it would aid you any in yours. 
Very respectfully, yours, etc., 

P"zR.4 W. Clark, 

Attsistant Ar/ent. 

AV. I. Lemkbv, Esq., Agent Seal Fisheries. 



Exhibit No. 14. 

Agent Clark's report on brnnding bachelors, St. George Island. 

Office of Special Agent, 
Department of Commerce and Labor, 
St. George Island, Alaska, August 8, 1904- 

Dear Sir: The branding of seals under Department's letter of instructions requir- 
ing the branding on this island of 200 3-year-old and 200 2-year-old seals, to be 
selected from the early drives of the season, was begun on June 7, when a drive of 
17 seals was obtained, of which 8 3-year-olds and 1 2- year-old were branded, the 
others in the drive being too large. Hot irons were used for burning off the hair 
and into the fur on the head; the irons were used by myself. From this date the 
branding was continued by selections made from the drives. On June 21 rain was 
falling, rendering the use of hot irons difficult and slow work. Some sheep shears 
in possession of the company were now tried for clipping the hair and fur, and it was 
found that an effective mark could be made with the shears, even more conspicuous 
than that made with the hot irons, also that the wet weather did not interfere with 
the use of the shears. The subsequent branding was therefore done with shears, 
this method being deemed a substantial compliance with your directions on this 
subject. 

The entire quota of this island was obtained by July 2. 

Appended is a memorandum showing the number branded by dates: 



Date. 



June 7 . 
.June 11, 
June 16 
June 21 
June 23 



Three- 


Two- 


year-olds. 


year-olds. 


8 


1 


4 


13 


45 


21 


25 


13 


122 


41 

1 



Date. 



June 28. 
July 2 . . 



Total 



Tbree- 



year-olds. year-olds. 



204 



Two- 



200 



The marks remained conspicuous during all the season's drives. Quite a number 
of seals with the St. Paul brand ( + ) appeared in our drives. 
Respectfully submitted. 

Your obedient servant, Ezra W. Clark, 

Assistant Agent In Charge. 
W. 1. Lemukev, .\gent Seal Fislieriex. 



54 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

Exhibit No. L5. 

.[(ji'iil < 'hirL'x report ov co)iipany',s expendltiireif, St. (Iivnjr. 

Ofkk'E ok Special Agent, 
Department of Commerce and Lahok, 

St. (reort/e Mand, August 8, 1904. 
Deak Sik: LVlVrriii^ to the provision in Department's letter of instructions dated 
May 1, 1904, in which it is required to ascertain from the North American (commer- 
cial Company it^ expenditures for maintaining schools for the fiscal year ended June 
30, 1904, I beg to state that the agent of the company on the island of St. (leorge has 
reported, in response to my inquiry on the subject, as follows, to wit: 

Expense of coal for heating school building $80. 00 

Repairs of building, labor, lumber, etc 100. 50 

Books, etc 15. 68 

Salary of teacher 780. 00 

Board, etc .364. 00 

Total 1, 340. 13 

The agent states further that "all the above statements are incomplete, as the office 
has charges that do not appear on our books," meaning the office in San Francisco. 

I have nothing to add to the statement save that the teacher, Mr. C. R. Edson, who 
is also the company's bookkeeper, appears to me to be a competent and efficient 
man. 

Referring to that portion of Department's letter of instructions of May 1, 1904, 
which requires a statement from the North American Commercial Company show- 
ing the expenditures made by said company during the fiscal year ended June 30, 
1904, in providing medical attendance for the residents on the seal islands, I beg to 
present below the statement furnished by the company agent for this island, in reply 
to my request to him in the matter, viz: 

Dispensary — 

Doctor's salar\ $1, 200. 00 

Board, etc., of doctor 364. 00 

Drugs expended 203. 58 

Total 1, 767. 58 

"All the above statements are incomplete, as the office has charges that do not 
appear on our books." 

The company's statement is all the information in my possession on the subject. 

In compliance with that part of the letter of instructions of the Department dated 
May 1, 1904, which directs that a statement of the North American Commercial 
Company V>e furnished in which shall be shown the expenditures of said company in 
furnishing and keeping in proper repair the dwellings occupied by the natives on the 
seal islands, and a like statement of expenditures incurred by said company in main- 
taining a house of religious worship for the natives, I have respectfully to report that in 
response to my request made to the company agent on St. George Island with respect 
to these two items, he has informed me that the expenditures for repairs to native 
dwelling houses have been about $5 for the year, which is consideralily less in 
amount than the average annual cost of such repairs. 

He stated further that the company has done nothing toward maintaining a house 
of religious worship for the natives. 

The native church has been jminted and kept in repair by the church authorities 
and the natives. 

Referring to the requirement of Department's letter of instructions of May 1, 1P04, 
that a statement be obtained from the North American Commercial Company show- 
ing the number of widows, orphans, and infirm natives cared for under the terms of 
its lease, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1904, and the expenditures in making such 
provision, I present below the statement furnished upon my request by the com- 
pany agent here: 

Widows and orphans: 
NumV)er of persons, 18 for 2^ montlis. 
Number of persons, 12 for 92 months. 

Average a little over 13 individuals, $946.98. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



t>l» 



"All the above statements are incomplete, as the offire has charges that do not 
appear on our books." 

1 respectfully subnjit the above for the information of the Department. 
Yours, respectfully, 

Ezra W. Clark, 
Asuixinnt Agent in Charge. 

W. I. I^EMBKEY, Esq., 

Agent for Seal Fii<]ierien, St. Paul Mandx. 



Exhibit No. 16. 
Weights of sealskins, St. George Island. 1904. 



Weights. 


Num- 
ber. 


Weights. 


Num- 
ber. 

155 
80 
75 
44 
58 
24 
18 
14 
22 
6 
11 


Weights. 


Num- 
ber. 


4i pounds 5 




9J pounds 


6 




10 pounds 


2 


4| pounds . . 

5 pounds 

.">•} pounds 

55 pounds 


12 , 

18 

42 
135 
136 
181 
151 
160 
133 


7^ pounds 




1 


lOi pounds 


4 


8 pounds 

%\ pounds 

8^ pounds 




1 




2 


114 pounds 


1 


6 pounds 

6^ pounds 

6i pounds 

f)i pounds 




1 


9 pounds 

9i pounds 

9i pounds 


Total 




1,502 











E.XHIBIT No. 17. 

Daihi counts of rookeries St. George Island, season 1904- 
NORTH ROOKERY. 



Date of count. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Bulls in 
place. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Bulls 
quitting. 








107 
122 
80 
68 
68 
52 
32 
19 




a7 




9 
45 
49 
59 
66 
92 
111 
117 
128 


10 

93 

130 

281 

640 

1,415 

2,382 

2,825 

3,133 




1 


June 23 




12 






20 


June 26 




16 


June 29 . . . 




69 


July 2 




c5 


July 6 




cl 


July 8 

Julv 12 


17 
13 






(c) 









EAST CLIFFS, rf 



June 10 .• 






42 
37 
32 
21 
16 
13 
14 
6 




e5 


.Tune 17 


5 
11 
23 
27 
35 
38 
40 
40 
49 
50 


10 

47 

163 

313 

522 

941 

1,090 

1,432 

1,422 

1,486 




e20 






e20 


June 24 




<14 


June 27 





<;20 


June 29 




el5 


July 2 




«9 


July 4 

July 7 

Julv 9 




el6 

.fl5 




ii 

17 


(/) 


July 13 




(/) 







n These include young bulls or half-bulls. 

ftldle bulls with holnstiak not counted this day. 

'' Several bulls in water. 

''Cliffs very difficult to count; cows lie in among the rocks; coinit is generally under rather than oyer. 

« These at "hauling grounds of the holustiak. 

/ Four in place on rookery at holnstiak ground. 



56 



ALASKAN 8EAL FISHERIES. 



Ddili/ counix of rookrrieK St. (ieorr/e Island, sraxo)) 1904 — Continued. 
EAST REEF. 



Date of count. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Bulls in 
place. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Bulls 
quitting. 


,1 une 10 






16 
20 
20 
9 
5 
2 
2 




a'6 


J uiie 17 








al 


June 20 








16 


June 24 


12 
16 
20 
19 

18 

20 
21 
20 


19 

41 

63 

138 

213 

337 

:«ii 

395 




04 


June 27 




'tS 


June 29 




o2 


Julv 2 




a2 


Julv4 




a? 


July 7 . .. . 






«1 


July 9 




3 

1 




July 13 













LITTLE EAST. 



June 10 






16 
17 
13 
7 
7 
4 
2 
2 






June 17 










June 20 


4 
10 
10 
14 
15 
16 
17 
17 
18 


4 

17 

23 

60 

138 

210 

313 

351 

320 






June 24 






June 27 




1 


June 29 






Julv 2 




1 


July 4 




1 


Julv 7 


2 
3 
1 




Julv 9 






JulvlSb 













« .At the hauling ground. 



'' Harems disintegrating. 



.STARAYA ARTEL ROOKERY. 

The harems on this rookery are so massed together that it is impossible to get among 
them for counting. ,An attempt was made on June 13 to count the harems and cows, 
and 39 harems were found, estimated to contain 1,600 to 1,700 cove's. There were 14 
idle bulls. 

ZAPADNI ROOKERY. 

This rookery is in the same case as Staraya Artel last mentioned. The harems are 
very much massed. On July 14 tried to count harems and cows. I counted fairly 
well 28 harems, in which were found 1,162 cows. There were 56 bulls with harems. 
Giving to the remaining 28 harems a number of cows equal to those in the 28 actually 
counted, we have 2,324 cows all told, which is the best estimate to be made under 
existing conditions. There were 14 idle bulls. 

Recapitulafio)!. 





Harems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


North Rookery 


128 
50 
21 
18 
39 
56 


3,133 

1,486 

395 

351 

1,650 

2,324 


13 


East Reef Cliffs . . 


17 


East Reef 


3 


Little East 


1 


Starava Artel 


14 


Zapadni 


14 








312 


9,339 


62 







ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



57 



Exhibit No. 18. 
Booker}/ counts of live pups, dead pups, cows, etc. 



Date of 


Name of rookery. 


Number of — 


Number of 
dead- 


count. 


Live 
pups. 


Dead 
pups. 


Cows. 


Bulls. 


July 28 
31 




3,151 
540 
662 
2,291 
4,284 
2,384 


82 
6 
6 

45 
101 

32 


4 
no 
1 
4 
2 
1 


2 


Little East 




31 


East Reef 




31 


East Cliffs 




Aug. 1 
1 


North 










Total 






13,312 


271 


12 


2 









a Falling off is very startling. 

The counting of East Cliffs is always unsatisfactory. The rocks under which the 
pups lie or hide themselves are close to the earth, while at the same time large, so 
that the refugees are difficult to reach. The count is apt to be under rather than 
over the true number. A few new-born pups were seen on each rookery. 
Very little trouble from bulls was met with. 

Very respectfully, . Ezra W. Clark, 

Assistant Agent in Charge.. 
August, 1904. 



Exhibit No. 19. 
St. George Island, Alaska, foxing season of 1908-4- 





Place. 


Date. 


Killed. 




Brand- 1 Re- 
ed, caught. 

i 




No. of trapping. 


6 


1 


3> 


6 
"3 

a 






Remarks. 


First 


Fox house . . 
do 


1903. 
Nov. 22 
Nov. 29 
Dec. 6 
Dec. 10 
Dec. 14 
Dec. 18 

JDec. 21 

JDec. 23 

|Dec. 27 

j-Dec. 29 

, 1904. 
>Jan. 1 

ban. 4 

{■Jan. 8 

ban. 10 

Ijan. 11 

{■Jan. 12 

jjan. 14 

{■Jan. 15 

>Jan, 19 


50 

25 


17 
2 
4 

{I 
{.1 
I? 

fl2 
ll8 

P 

I 5 
J 
I 3 
/ 
t 

{'? 

w 
{\ 
{I 


39 
20 

4 




1 

2 
9 

6 
19 

27 
25 

2 
6 

7 

3 
6 
6 

I 

11 
8 
5 
5 
3 


6 
1 


1 












Second 


2 


94 


19 

17 

35 

8 

15 

161 

34/ 

101 

4/ 

61 

8/ 

251 

3/ 

1 

1 

'SI 

?} 

1 


2 
3 
33 
19 
39 

50 
51 

48 
63 

29 
24 


"'3' 

32 
11 
31 

51 
52 
38 
65 

24 
25 




Third 


do 


.... 18 
2 ! 37 


High tide. 
Sloppy. 


Fourth 


do 


Fifth 


do 


2 
2 

""i' 

1 


5 

25 

12 

29 

7 

4 

5 

2 

14 

4 

3 
1 
3 

1 
2 


3 
10 
8 

8 

7 

3 
3 

3 
3 


Sixth 


do 


Do. 


Seventh 


/Fox house . . 

/Village 

(Fox house . . 

iVillage 

(Fox house . . 

/Village 

/Fox house.. 
/Village 

(Fox house.. 

/Village 

JFox house . . 

/Village 

/Fox house.. 

/Village 

(Fox house . . 

/Village 

(Fox house.. 

/Village 

/Fox house.. 

/Village 

/Fox house.. 

/Village 

/Fox house.. 
/Village 

/Fox house . . 
/Village 


(Weather cold and high. 
1 wind. 


Eighth 


Ninth . . . 




Tenth 




Eleventh 




Twelfth 








Fourteenth 


17 

54 
65 
52 
18 

25 


15 

58 
63 
49 
20 

20 




Sixteenth 




Seventeenth 

Eighteenth 

Nineteenth 


Weather mild-calm. 32°. 

(The females killed were 
\ toothless. Weather, 
[ mild-windy. 



58 



ALASKAN .sP;AL FISHERIES. 



St. (li'oi-ijf /x/iiikI, Aldskd, j'o.iitiij season of 1903-4 — Continued. 



No. of trapping. 



Twentieth 

Twenty-first 

Twenty-second . . 
Twenty-third... 
Twentj--fourth . 

Twenty-fifth 

Twenty-sixth 

Twenty-seventh 
Twenty-eighth . 

Total 



Killed. 



riarc. 



DiUe. 



Uan. 21 
[•Jan. 22 
!-J 



an. 23 



fFox house.. 

I Village 

fFox house.. 

\Village 

(Fox house.. 

tVillage 

fFox hou.se.. 

\Village 

(Fox house.. 

tVillage 

fFox house.. 

\Village 

fFox house.. i\,„„ .,, 

{village If'^"- ^^ 

/Fox house. ~ 

\Village 

J Fox house.. 
^Village 



1904. 
ban. 20 



[■Jan. 24 
ban. 25 



[Jan. 28 
l-Jan. 29 



219 250 



1 Brand- Re- 
ed. I caught, 



^ S 



284 






0/ '^ 



286 



60 


65 


a77 




am 




n87 




o32 





alO 













Remarks. 



a Sex not ascertained. 

Note.— Three were found dead or killed outside of traps and skins taken. One found dead after 
trapping ended, with agood skin. All foxes killed in the later trappings were old. Oneblue fox found 
dead after ending of season included. The total number of blue fox skins secured is ^71: the total 
number of white fox skins secured is 15; total 486. 

Exhibit No. 20. 

Crux'UsofSt. George Island, Alaska, June 30, 1904- 



No. of 


No. of 


fam- 


per- 


ily. 


son. 




f 1 




2 


1 


3 




4 




5 




f 6 


2 


7 
8 




9 




10 




11 




12 


3 


13 




14 




15 




16 




17 




18 


4 


19 


20 




21 




22 




23 


5 


24 
25 




26 


6 


1 27 
I 28 


^ 


f 29 
I 30 






31 




32 


» 


38 
34 




35 




I 36 



Name of individual. 



Galanin.Evan 

Galanin, Anna 

Galanin, Akalina 

Galanin, Alexander 

Galanin, George 

GorokotT, Corneil 

Gorokofl", Martha 

Oustigoff, Alexandra 

Oustigoff, Stepanida 

Lekanoff , Stepan 

Lekanolf , Pelagia 

Lekanoff, Anatoli 

Lekanoff, Sergius 

Lekanoff, Sara 

LekanotT, Marina 

Lekanoff, George 

Lestenkoft', Dimitri 

Lestenkiiff, Alexandra . . 
Lestenkoff, Klizabeth ... 
Lestenkoft', Constantine. 

Merculioft', Marka 

Diakanoff, Katie 

Lestenkoff, Michael 

Lestenkoff, Oulita 

Lestenkoff, Innokenty . . 
Lestenkoff, Anna ....... 

Malavansky, Nicolai 

Malavansky, Fedosia . . . 

Merculioff, Evan 

Mercnlioff, Natalia 

Merenliotl, (ieorge 

Merculioft', Stepanida . . . 

Merculioff, Peter 

Merculioff, Sophia 

Merculioff, George, jr ... 
Merculioff, Martha '' 



Family relation. 



Ages. 



Male. Female. 



'Wlien born. 



Husband 

Wife 

Mother 

Brother 

Son 

Husband a 

'Wife (I 

Stepdaughter. 

do 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

do 

Daughter 

do 

Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Mother 

Son 

Foster son 

Niece 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Husband 

Wife 

Husband 

Wife 

HusbaiyJ 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter 

Son 

Sister 



34 



39 



28 



34 



23 



Sept. 

1881 

1862 

Sept. 

June 

Mav 

1870 

Mav 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Apr. 

Oct. 

Aug. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

May 

May 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Apr. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Apr. 

Jan. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Julv 

Sept. 

Apr. 

Julv 



30, 1881 



11, 1885 
1903 
1856 



1893 
1894 
1869 
1869 
1890 
1891 
1893 
1895 
1897 
1862 
1879 
1834 
1898 
1885 
1888 
1872 
1869 
1896 
1898 
18 J4 
1881 
1876 
1880 
1873 
1878 
1899 
1901 
1903 
1893 



a This couple married on Aug. 9, 1903. 

b Clothing furnished by the North American Commercial Co. 



ALASKA^ SEAL FISHERIES. 



59 



Cen^'Of of St. George Island, Alasl-a, Jane 30, iSO^— Continued. 




Ages. 



Faniilv relation, t- 



Male. 1 Female. 



Wlien born. 



l.T 1 



-i{ 



90 



MeixuliotY..losi'iili ' Husband. 

MerouliotV. Marvfira i Wife 

Mcrciilioff, .l.ihiw ' Brother. . . 

MtTculioir. Holeiiav ! Sister 

MtTculiot)'. Niciilai [ Husband . 

MtrculiolT, Matrona Wife 

Son 

do.... 

Bachelor . 

Mother . . . 

Brother. . . 

Husband . 

Wife 

Daughter. 

Son 

Daughter . 

Son 

do.... 

Hu.sband . 

Wife 



32 



Merculidrt'. Lavrenty 

MtTCuliiitY, (iavril 

NedarazolY. Nicolai 

Nedaraziilf, Kfifhuida 

NedarazDfT. Isidur 

Philimunott', .\iidronic ... 

Philimonoff, Zcnobia 

Philinionofl", Marina 

Philiniouolf, Leonti 

Philimonoff, Alexandra.. 
Philimonolf, .\ndronic, jr 

Philimonoff, Eoff 

Philimonoff, Gregory .... 
Philimonoff, Malania .... 

Pliilimonoff, Dimitri ! Brother 

Nozekoff, Paul Nephew 

Oustigoff, .Vnfessia i Foster child 

Philimonoff, Simeon Husband 

Philimonolf , Kvadotia Wife 

Philimonoff, Zoya Daughter 

Philimonoff', Joseph Son 

Philimonoff, Ignati do 

Philimonoff". Julia i Daughter 

Philimonolf, Helena do 

Philimonoff, Pelagia " Granddaughter. 

Prokojiiott'. Peter < Husbatld 

ProkoiiiolV, Stepanida , Wife 

Pri ikopioff , Mart ha i Daughter 

Prokopii )ir, ilarina ' do 

Prokojiioff. .\le.\ander | Son 

Pr()ko|iioft', Lavrenty I do 

Shane. Michael '. ' Bachelor 

Shane, Raiessa I Mother 

Merculioff. Stepan \ Cou.sin 

Swetzoft". Gregory [ Bachelor 

Swetzott', Paul ; Cou.sin 

Galanin , Fe vronia Widow and 

j cousin. 

Zachar^ift', Emanuel Husband 

Zacharoff. Mary I Wife 

Zacharoff , Daria j Daughter 

Zacharoff, Stepan ; Son 

Malavansky. Kipsimia" | Spinster 

Malavansky. Petero | Son 

Mahivafisky. Wassiea i Spinster 

Malavatisky. Christopher" Scm 

Philimofioff. Foekla « I Foster child 

Merculioff, Wassalis « Widow 

Merculioff, .\le.xafidra o Daughter 



1 

3 mo. 

26 



30 



30 



2 

3 mo. 

16 



40 |. 



2 

10 mo. 

16 



Mar. 17 

May 14 
Jan. 18 
Mav 27 
May 19 
Jan. 2 
Sept. 8, 
Apr. 8 
Dec. 18: 
Jan. 5 
Feb. 15, 
Oct. 24 
Nov. 12 
May 12, 
May 
Apr. 25 
Oct. 18 
June 8 
Oct. 12 
Jan. 12 
Mav 2.5 
Inly 11 
Apr. 21 
Aug. 3 
Feb. 28, 
Nov. 12 
Feb. 4 
Dec. 29 
Mar. 12 
Apr. 10, 
Oct. 19 
Mav 29 
Nov. 18, 
Mar. S 
Mar. 5 
Mav 1 
Aug. 30 
Oct. 13 

Sept. 27 
Nov. 29 
Julv 8 
June 25 



PRIEST'S F.\MH,y. 



91 ' Kasliivaroff, Peter (priest) Husband 

92 I KashivarcitT, Anna Wife 

93 ! Kasliivaroff, Walter Son 

94 i Pavloff, Katrina Niece 

95 i Riazanzoff, Serefina Orphan.. 



Inf. 



39 



July 
Apr. 
Apr. 
Jan. 

Jan. 
Aug. 
June 
Oct. 
Jan. 
Apr. 



Mar. 
Jan. 
Julv 
Dec. 
Jnlv 



1872 

I87y 
1890 
1884 
1880 
1883 
1902 
1904 
1877 
1854 
1891 
1867 
1866 
1890 
1894 
1896 
1898 
1902 
1872 
1874 
1886 
1896 
1895 
1850 
1871 
1892 
1894 
1899 
1902 
1904 
1887 
1864 
1876 
1896 
1898 
190? 
1903 
1887 
1852 
1890 
1885 
1892 
1877 

1880 
1874 
1902 
1904 

1858 
1888 
1874 
1904 
1894 
1851 
1878 



3, 1857 
17, 1865 
2, 1887 
2, 1893 
1, 1887 



REStDlNC; ELSEWHERE. 

Malavansky, Cleopatra 



Daughter of 
Ripsimia. 



21 Oct. 31,1882 



"Supported by the North American Commercial Co 
RECAPITULATION. 



Number of native inhabitants at last preceding census, including Priest's family 92 

Increase by births during past year. C 

Decrease by deaths during past year 3 

Actual number of native residents 95 



60 ALASKAN SKAL KISHERIKS. 

Cenxus of St. Georr/e hhnui, Alaska, June SO, 1904 — Continuetl. 

SUMMARY. 

Number of native families 21 

Number of native individuals 95 

Number of native males 4« 

Number of native females 47 

Number (jf native males 16 years old or over 24 

Number of native males Itet ween 6 and 13 years old 11 

Number of native males uniler 6 years old 13 

Number of native females Ki years old or over , 28 

Number of native females between 10 and 6 years old 14 

Nimiber of native females under 6 years old 5 

Number of males of school aKC 11 

Number of females of school age 14 

The number of families wholly supported by the company is one. One other family partially sup- 
ported by the company. Peter Malavansky, now become a sealer, will be furnished food by the 
company until September 1. Eight individuals are now wholly .supported by the company and 4 
clothed only. • 

Gorernment agents and ronipani/ employees. — Ezra W. Clark, assistant agent in 
charge; H. D. Ciiichester, assistant agent; Mrs. Ezra W. Clark; Dr. L. A. Noyes, 
company agent; Henry E. Routh, bookkeeper; J. A.Lake, clerk; Clinton R. Edson, 
school-teacher; Gee Ho, Chinese cook. 

I certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of the census of St. George Island, 
Alaska, as made by me on June 30, 1904. 

Ezra W. Clark, 
Assistant Agent in Charge, St. George Island. 

Exhibit No. 21. 

Seal dielsion, St. George Island, 1904- 

By 1,996 sealskins, at 50 cents each $998.00 

To 14 men of class 1, at $43.95 each 615. 30 

To 5 men of class 2, at $35.15 each 175. 75 

To 5 men of class 3, at $26.40 each 132. 00 

To 2 men of special class, at $40 and $34.95 74. 95 

998. 00 

First-class shares. — Fourteen men at $49.35 each as follows: Cornell Gorokoff, Peter 
Kashivaroff (priest), Stepan Lekanoff, Dimitri Lestenkoff, Michael Lestenkoff, Nick- 
olai Malavansky, George Merculioff, Joseph Merculioff, Nicolai Merculioff, Andronic 
Philimonoff, Gregory Philimonoff, Simeon Philimonoff, Peter Prokopioff, Emanuel 
Zacharoff. 

Second-class .'shares. — Five men, at $35.15 each, as follows: Evan Galanin, Evan 
Merculioff, Nicolai Niderezoff, Michael Shane, Gregorj' Swetzoff. 

Third-class shares. — Five men, at $26.40 each, as follows: Alexander Galanin, Walter 
Kashivaroff, Peter Malavansky, Marka Merculioff, and Dimitri PhiHmonoff. 

Special-class sJiares. — Two men, as follows: Stepan Lekanoff, extra as chief, $40; 
Joseph Merculioff, extra as second chief, $34.95. 

The foregoing seal division was duly made, and has l)een placed to the credit, on 
the books of the North Anierican Commercial Company, of the natives as designated 
respectviely. 

(Signed) Ezka W. Clark, 

Assistant Agent in Charge. 
Dr. L. A. Noyes, 
Agent North American Commercial Co. 
Stepan Lekanoff, 

Chief. 
JosKi'H Merculioff, 
Second Chief. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 61 

Exhibit No. 22. 

Fox dJi'iKion, »Sy. George Island, Alaskxi, made Jane 1, 1904. 

By 471 blue-fox skins, at f!5 eacli |2, 355. 00 

By 15 white-fox skins, at $1 each 15. 00 

2, 370. 00 

To allowance to hydrant keej)er 5. 00 

To chief for extra labor 30. 00 

To second chief for extra labor 25. 00 



60.00 



First-class shares. — Thirteen men at$116.65 each, as follows: Cornell Gorokoff, Stepan 
Lekanoff, Dimitri Lestenkoff, Michael Lestenkoff, Nicolai Malavansky, George Mer- 
culioff, Joseph jNIerculioff, Nicolai Merculioff, Andronic Philimonoff, Gregory Phili- 
monoff, Simeon Philimonoff, Peter Prokopioff, Peter Kashivaroff (priest). 

Second-class shares. — Four men at $93.40 each, as follows: Evan Galanin, P"van 
Merculioff, Nicolai Niderezoff, Emanuel Zacharoff. 

Third-class .^Jiares. — Six men at $70 each, as follows: Alexander Galanin, Walter 
Kashivaroff, Marka Merculioff, Dimitri Philimonoff, Michael Shane, Gregorv Swet- 
zoff. 

I certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript of the fox division as made on 
June 1, 1904, and that the amounts as designated have been placed to the credit of 
the natives respectively designated on the North American Commercial Company's 
book.«. 

Ezra W. Clark, 
A.m.ftard agent in charge. 



Exhibit No. 23. 
^Innval statement of fur seals killed on St. George Island for food of natires. 



Date. 



Nov 



1903. 
Oct. 19 
20 
21 
22 
24 
26 
29 
31 
2 
4 
5 
8 
9 
11 
11 
16 
17 



1904. 
May 31 



Rookery. 



Staraya Artel 

North 

Zapadni, watchmen . 

East 

Zapadni 

Staraya Artel 

North 

East 

Staraya Artel 

Zapaidni, watchmen . 

North 

Zapadni 

East 

Staraya Artel 

Zapadni, watchmen . 

do 

East and North 

North 

East 

Zapadni, watchmen. 



Larpe 




Skins ac- 


young 


Total. 


cepted 


seals. 




bylessees. 


40 


40 


40 


68 


68 


68 


2 


2 


o 


26 


26 


26 


6 


6 


6 


36 


36 


36 


82 


82 


82 


61 


61 


61 


2 


2 


2 


» 


2 


2 


54 


54 


54 


22 


22 


22 


11 


11 


11 


42 


42 


42 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


2 


13 


13 


13 


4 


4 


4 


20 


20 


20 



Two skins are to be deducted from the foregoing to meet discrepancy explained in 
note on general statement. The number killed for food is therefore 495. 
The foregoing is correct. 

Ezra W. Clark, 
Assistant Agent in Charge. 



62 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHKKIKS. 



IvvniBiT Nil. 24. 
Meinoraudd of expeiiditnn'K occoiud indins St. (icon/c Ishnul for I'Icrcit iiioidlix, 190-1-f. 



Xanic of hoacl f)t" family. 



Alex. Ualaiiin 

Evan Galanin 

("orncil UonikolV 

Peter Kashivat'olT (priest) 

Peter Kasliivaeotf, jr 

Walter Kashivaeoflf 

Stepan LekanolY (chief) 

Dimitri Lestenkoff 

Mike LestenkofT 

George Mereulioff 

.lohn Merenlitiff 

.loseph MerciiliolT (2nd chief) 

Marka Merciilinrt' 

Nieolai Malavansky 

Nicolai Mcrcnlioff 

Nieolai Xiderczofi:' 

Andronic I'liilimonotf 

Dimitri I'hiliiudnoff 

Gregory Pliilimonoff 

Simeon Philimonoff 

Peter Prokopioff 

Michael Shane 

Gregory Swetzoff 

Emannel Zaeharoff 

Peter Malavansky 

Commiinit V fund 



Fo.x and 

seal 
division. 



Sn3.95 
158. 00 I 
197.38 
197.38 
74.33 
44. 20 
267. 39 
197. 38 
197. 38 
197.38 
157. 00 
257. 38 
118.20 
197.38 
197. S8 
158.00 
197. 38 
118.40 
197. 38 
197.38 
197. 38 
44.20 
133.23 
1.58. 00 



Govern- 
ment ap- 
propria- 
tion. 



8199. 55 
195. 30 



137. 80 
300. 35 
216. 50 
125. 75 
288. 95 
135.00 
154.48 

6.00 
127. 60 
157.65 
169. 65 
309. 10 
18.00 
121.05 
298. 70 
198. 20 
256.92 
209. 75 
152. 70 

9.05 
112. .50 



Total. 



•f 11 3. 95 
357. 55 
392. 68 
197. 38 
74.33 
182.00 
567. 74 
413. 88 
323. 13 
486. 33 
292. 00 
411.86 
124. 20 
324. 98 
355. 03 
327. 65 
.506.48 
136.40 
318.43 
496. 08 
395. 58 
301. 12 
342. 98 
310. 70 
9.05 
112.50 



Total 7, 874. 01 



Exhibit No. 25. 



School Report, St. (leorye. 

St. Geor(;e Lsland, Alaska, 

April 29, 1904. 

Dear Sir: Tl:^ following is offered as school report for the year 1903-4. A school 
has been furnished for the native children of St. George Island, as required by the 
lease of the Nortii American Commercial Company, for eight months, beginning Tues- 
day, September 1, 1903, and closing Friday, April 29, 1904. 

Twenty-five scholars have attended this school for the year excepting absences 
.shown below, most of which were occasioned by the prevailing distemper among 
the natives during March and April. 

Four of last year's pupils, being beyond the age of required attendance, did not 
return to the school in Septendoer, and their places were partially tilled by two very 
promising beginners, George Lekanoff and Innokenty Lestenkoff, making the school 
smaller by two than last year. 

The usual Christmas and church holidays were observed. 

Number of boys attending school 12 

Number of girls attending school 13 

Total 25 

Number of school weeks 35 

Number of school days 1 74 

Number of holidays observed 18 

Number of days school was in session 156 

Absences excused by doctor days. . 84 

Absences excused by Government agent do 2^ 

Absences unexcused do :] 

Absences, total 88 

Total attendance 3, 812 

Average daily attendance 24//;; 

C. R. Edsox, Teacher. 
Maj. E. W. Clark, 

^Imistant Agent in Charge St. George Island. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. (^S 



No. 4. 

PRELIMINARY REPORT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND 
LABOR, 1905, OF W. I. LEMBKEY, AGENT ALASKAN SEAL 
FISHERIES. 

Office of Agent in Charge of Seal Islands, 

/Sf. Paid Island, Alaska, June 17, 1905. 

Deak Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of Department's letter 
of the 1st ultimo, containing- instructions for the official guidance of 
the Government agents on the seal islands for the season of 1905. 

During the past winter, and including June 5, 1905, 1,545 seals were 
taken on the two islands for food for the natives, out of the allotment 
of 2,000 for that purpose. Of these 1,311 were taken on St. Paul and 
236 on St. George. 

There were killed on St. George last winter 262 blue foxes and 10 
white foxes. On St. Paul Island only 1 white skin was taken, and no 
blues. On Otter Island, 6 miles southwest of St. Paul, 31 blue foxes 
and 2 white foxes were taken. This latter island has not been visited 
for the purpose of trapping foxes since 1894. The total trapping of 
foxes for branding and killing last winter on St. George indicates a 
decrease in the whole number of foxes present on the island of 295, as 
compared with the preceding season. 

Until this time the weather has been too unfavorable for marking- 
bachelor seals. A drive for branding was made on St. Paul yesterda}^, 
but we were forced to release the seals without branding anv, because 
of the dry, warm weather which set in after the drive was made. 

The counts of bulls made thus far on St. Paul Island indicate a 
probable falling off of 10 to 15 per cent in the total number to be 
present at the height of the season. The cows have just begun to arrive 
and no estimate of their number can be made. In regard to bachelors 
it may be possible to equal last year's catch, though a smaller number 
would not surprise me. 

Assistant Agents Chichester and Clark have been placed on St. 
George for the summer, with Assistant Agent Judge and mj'self on 
St. Paul. In the fall Agent Judge and myself wall return to the States, 
Agent Chichester will remain for the winter in charge of St. George, 
and Agent Clark will assume charge of St. Paul Island for the same 
period. 

Veiy tiuly, yours, W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent hi Charge of Seal Idand'<. 

Mr. F. H. Bowen, 

Chief Clerk, Department <f Commerce and Lahor. 



64 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



No. 5. 

ANNUAL REPORT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR, 
1905, OF W. I. LEMBKEY, AGENT ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

Dei'aktmknt of Commeik^e and Labor, 

Office of the Secretary, 
Wcwhington^ Oetoher '26^ 190h. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report on the admin- 
istration of atl'airs on the seal islands of Alaska, during the year ended 
August, 1905: 

BRANDING OF BACHELORS. 

The branding of bachelors, the first work of the season, was begun 
in June, 1905, as soon as the presence of the animals in numbers 
would justify. 

On St. Paul, u drive for branding was started from the reef on 
June 16, but, after having been made, was released because of the 
warm, bright weather which set in, rendering any handling of the seals 
hazardous. 

On June 20 another drive from the same locality was made, and, in 
view of our previous experience, the work of branding was begun at 
2.30 a. m. At 10.30 a. m., after an interval of two hours for break- 
fast, all seals of suitable age in the drive had been branded, the morn- 
ing's work resulting in \^<6 2-year-olds and 437 3-year-olds being 
marked and released. 

The branding irons and forges, formerly used for this purpose, were 
taken to the field, but, after singeing a dozen seals, the use of the hot 
irons was discontinued and some old sheep shears owned by the lessee 
were used. At the end of the season I received from Mr. Chichester 
three pairs of sheep shears which he had brought up from San Francisco 
in the spring. 

On the following day we branded at Zapadni 168 2-year-olds and 132 
3-year-olds, and from the drive remaining 367 bachelors were killed 
for their skins, as it was considered advisable to obtain the remainder 
of the number desired for branding from the northeastern end of the 
island. 

On June 22 the native workmen were taken to Northeast Point, and 
on the following day 211 2-year-olds and 291 3-year-olds were marked 
on that rookery, thereby filling the quota for the island. 

The following is a summary of the branding on St. Paul Island, 
1905: 



Date. 



1906. 
June 20 
21 
23 



Rookery. 



Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point 

Total 



2-year- 
olds. 



3-year- 
olds. 



466 437 

168 132 

211 291 



845 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



65 



On St. George Agent Chicliester has furnished the following- list of 
seals marked there this season: 



Date. 



1905 

June 20 

June 23 

June 26 

June 28 

Julvl 



2-year- 


3-year- 


4- year- 


olds. 


olds. 


olds. 


57 


59 


8 ' 


44 


22 


30 


21 


10 


7 


71 


52 


8 


7 




5 



Date. 



Julv 5 . 
Julv 11 



1905. 



Total 



2-year- 3-year- 4-year- 
olds. 1 olds. olds. 



Mr. Chichester states that the St. George branded seals were all 
marked l\y clipping off the fur on the top of the heads with sheep 
shears. In addition to this a half-round hole was punched through 
the outside finger of the left-hand flipper, marking them permanently. 
This was devised as a means of identifying the animals in the fall, and 
is feasible on St. George, as only a few seals are handled there. 

The total number of bachelors marked and released on both islands 
in 1905 follows: 





2-vear- 
olds. 


3-year- 
olds. 


4-year- 
olds. 


St. Paul . 


845 
200 


860 
200 






69 








Total 


1,045 


1,060 


69 







DRIVES DURING YEAR. 



On St. Paul the lessee made 25 drives for skins during' the summer 
of 1905, including two drives made b}^ the Government agents for 
branding, from which the lessee was allowed to take skins after such 
number of seals as was desired for branding had been secured. From 
these drives made b}- the lessee, 11,675 sealskins were secured. 

The Government agent on St. Paul, during the late fall of 1904: 
and the spring and early fall of 1905, made 11 drives to secure fresh 
meat for the natives. The watchmen at Northeast Point killed l-l 
seals for their food under permission from the Government agent. 
From these food drives, which include two made after July 31, 1905, 
1,450 skins were secured from carcasses used for food. 

From the drives for food and those made by the lessee 13,125 skins 
were taken, in addition to 143 skins left from the previous season. 
Care was taken that no more than the quota allowed, 13.000, should be 
taken from all sources at the close of the lessee's season, July 31. A 
total of 13,268 skins were in the salt house on St. Paul upon the arrival 
of the company's vessel at about the middle of August. Of these 
13,000 were shipped b}- the lessee as its quota for the island, leaving 
268 skins in the salt house to be applied to the quota for the coming* 
year. 

On St. George, during the fall of 1904, 12 food drives were made 
by the Government agent for natives' food. These drives produced 
236 skins, including the skin of one seal found dead in August. The 
lessee made 20 drives for skins during its killing season in 1905, 
thereby securing 1,132 skins. 

S. Doc. 98—05 5 



(56 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

From the drives made hy the lessee and those made I'or food 1,308 
sealskins were taken, all of which were shipped by the lessee toward 
its quota of 2.000 for St. George. 

The bachelor seals appeared in larofer numbers on St. Paul in 1905 
than during- the preceding- season, alk)wing- the (|uota of 13,000 for that 
island to l)e taken. This may be attrilnited to the large number of 
bachelors dismissed from the drives the preceding- season. 

It is not to l)e Ijelieved, however, that bacheloi's were so plentiful 
that the quota could have been exceeded had permission to do so been 
had. The lessee made every proper effort to secure its quota, and on 
St. Paul it was not known until the last drive had been made that 
enough skins could be secured to till the quota for that island. 

BACHELORS AMONG BREEDING SEALS. 

It will be stated hereafter that at the height of the breeding season, 
by reason of the scarcity of bulls, bachelors were not compelled to 
resort to their hauling grounds to land, but were able to haul on the 
rookeries themselves, among the breeding seals. 

As the isolation of bachelors on hauling- grounds apart from the 
breeding- mass is the condition upon which the securing of seals for 
killing is based, their being- allowed to frequent the breeding area, 
from which no drives are made, may have had a tendency to lessen 
the number secured on the hauling grounds. What number of bach- 
elors hauled on the breeding grounds among the cows is not possible 
to state, but having- in mind the restless habits of the bachelors, and 
the probable fact that the same animal hauls in a half dozen places on 
the islands during the same summer, it is believed that comparatively 
few escaped being caught in at least one of the drives by reason of 
being allowed to haul among the cows. 

BACHELORS REIVIAINING AT END OF SEASON, 

In counting pups at the end of the killing- season, Mr. Judge and I 
found 500 bachelors on Polovina hauled up in the middle of the rook- 
ery and on the table rock in front, awash at high tide. Their pres- 
ence was unknown to the lessee, and none of them were killed. At 
the same time about 300 were driven off Ketovi and about 200 off' 
Lukanin. While counting Sea Lion Rock, we found probably 500 
bachelors there w^hich could not be driven. We are sure, therefore, 
that at least 1,500 bachelors were on shore at the end of the season, a 
large proportion of which had not been driven by the company. 

WEIGHTS OF SEALSKINS. 

All sealskins taken during the past season on either island were 
weighed. The list of weights for both islands is attached as an 
exhibit. 

Careful attention was paid by me during the season to avoid the 
killing of underweight seals and' -l-y ear-olds, and the presence of such 
skins in a killing was invariably brought to the attention of the les- 
see's ager.t in the form of a protest. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



67 



SEALS DISMISSED FROM DRIVES. 



From the drives made on St. Paid during- the season of 1905 the 
following number of dismissals was made, with the dismissals for the 
previous season added for purposes of comparison: 





Year. 


Not branded. 


New brands. 


Old brands. 




Large. 


Small. 


2-year. 


3-year. 


3-year. 


4- year. 


1905 - 


735 
641 


5,548 
4,794 


1,005 
1, 320 


.511 
568 


137 


120 


1904 












94 


754 





















The table given shows an increase in 1905, among seals not branded, 
of 9-1 large and 754 small dismissals. This is exclusive of the 3 and 4 
vear olds dismissed in 1905 as having- been branded the previous year. 

Although the same num])er of 2 and 3 year old bachelors was branded 
on St. Paul in 1905 the record of dismissals of such animals for that 
year shows a decrease from the previous season of 315 2-year-olds and 
57 3-year-olds. This demonstrates a fluctuation in the proportion of 
numbers hauling in this class of animals due, no doubt, to difl'ering^ 
climatic conditions. The principle disclosed last year, however, that 
2-year-old males haul more frequently than the 3-year-olds is substan- 
tiated. 

Of the old brands made in 1904 with branding irons, 257 animals 
returned in 1905 with brands that were still recognizable and were 
released. The permanent brand consisted usually of a small bare mark 
at the juncture of the two lines of the letter "T" brand. 

On St. George there were released 199 large and 2,077 small seals not 
branded, as reported by Agent Chichester, and 890 branded, of which 
810 were St. George brands, 64 St. Paul brands, and 16 so-called per- 
manent brands. As the branding in 1905 on both islands was done 
with sheep shears, which would not permit of the subsequent identifi- 
cation of the work done on either island, it is believed that the seals 
classed by Mr. Chichester as ''St. Paul" brands were those branded 
in 1904 w'ith irons. The ''permanent brands" were those pi'obably 
branded in previous 3"ears across the back. 



PERCENTAGE OF SEALS KILLED. 

« 

The statistics of killings on St. Paul Island, herewith submitted as 
an exhibit, show that 59 per cent of all seals driven on St. Paul last 
season were killed. 

On St. George Island during the killing- season, according to the 
report furnished by Agent Chichester, 4,232 animals were driven and 
1,132 killed. The animals killed there represented 26 per cent of all 
seals driven. 

Undoubtedly on St. George a number of seals were dismissed that 
would have furnished skins weighing 5i pounds. The low percentage 
of animals killed on St. George must not be taken as a criterion of the 
rational proportion of killables in drives. 



68 



ALASKAN SKAL FISHERIES. 



COUNTS OF SEALS. 

The usiml intormodiatc counts on the various rookeries were made 
from time to time during the summer. A sunnnary of these counts 
for the two islands is appended as an exhibit. 

Beoiiming on fluly lo last, counts were made of all t)ulls on the 
islands, including those idle as well as those ha\ing- cows. 

The harem count on St. Paul follows: 

Count of bulls, St. Paul Island, 1905. 



Rookerv. 



Gorbatch (cliffy . 

Gorbatch 

Ardiguen 

Reef 

Ketovi 

Lukanin 

Amphitheater... 

Lagoon 

Zapadni Reef 

Little Zapadni... 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point . 
Little Polovina.. 
Polovina Cliff . . . 

Polovina 

Tolstoi 

Tolstoi Cliffs 

Sea Lion Rock a . 



Total , 



Bulls 

with 

harems. 



10 

122 

9 

261 

54 

43 

12 

23 

30 

78 

179 

362 

12 

36 

53 

136 



1, 455 



Idle bulls. 

Sta- "Quit- 
tioned. ters." 



Total. 



Idle. 



Bulls. 



10 

130 

9 

280 

59 

47 

12 

26 

32 

84 

207 

389 

12 

37 

59 

143 

38 



44 



1,574 



a On June 19, Sea Lion Rock had 45 bulls. It was not possible to make a count of harems there at 
the height of the season. 

The harem count on St. George Island, as furnished by Agent Chi- 
chester, follows: 



Rookerv. 



Bulls 

with 

harems. 



Idle Total 
bulls, bulls. 



East Reef 

Staraya Artel 

East ." 

Zapadni 

Little East. . . 
North 

Total . . 



17 
29 
47 
45 
16 
104 



258 



17 
33 
54 

48 
16 
112 



280 



DECREASE IX BULLS. 



By comparison with similar counts made last year, it is found that 
since 1904 a decrease in harems has occurred of 18 per cent on St. Paul 
and 11 per cent on St. George. 

A decrease in idle bulls has occurred since 1901 of 18 per cent on 
St. Paul and 61 per cent on St. George. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



69 



CLASSIFICATION OF LARdE SEALS DISMISSED. 

The laro-e seals dismissed from the drives this summer on 8t. Paul 
were divided, as regards age, as follows: 



Date. 


Rookery. 


4 years. 


5 years. 


6 years. 


7 years. 


8 years 
or over. 


1905. 
June 19 


Tolstoi 


8 
46 
32 
38 
13 
22 
32 
10 
12 
25 


7 

19 

28 

31 

1 

7 

9 

7 

7 

2 

1 

4 


3 
4 
10 

n 






21 


Zaj)aclni . 






23 








26 


Reef 






30 


Northeast Point 






July 1 


Zapadni and Tolstoi 


16 
5 
3 
2 
1 
2 
1 
2 
1 
2 

1 


3 

4 
5 

2 

1 




3 


Reef 




6 






Zapadni 




.s 


Reef 




11 


Northeast Point 




13 


Reef 


1 

1 
•> 

11 
13 


1 
1 
1 
3 




14 






16 


Northeast Point 


1 
10 
5 






Reef and Gorbateh 




19 






21 


Northeast Point 




2 


•)•> 




4 
26 
8 
2 
16 
22 
'l 
13 




3 
3 
3 

16 
3 

31 
1 

11 
9 


6 
1 
3 
3 
2 
14 


3 

1 
2 
2 
2 

2 


1 


24 


Zapadni 




26 




3 


27 


Tolstoi 

Reef . . 


2 
3 


28 


Zapadni and Little 2apadni 

Reef 




31 


1 


31 


Northeast Point 


4 

1 


7 

1 


2 


Aug. 10 








Total 






363 


219 


98 


41 


14 









The large seals dismissed on St. George were classified by Agent 
Chichester as follows: 4 years, 129; 63'ears, 21; 6 3"ears, 27; bulls, 14. 



COUNTS OF PUPS. 



Commencing on Julv 28, on St. Paul, the usual counts of pups were 
made on the rookery spaces selected for that purpose. A statement 
of the count so made, with that of the preceding 3' ear, attached for 
purposes of comparison, follows: 



Rookerv. 



Ketovi 

Lagoon 

Tolstoi Cliff 

Zapadni Reef 

Polovina Cliff 

Ardiguen 

Lukanin 

West side Northeast 

Point 

East side Northeast 

Point 

Little Polovina , 

Polovina , 

Gorbateh Cliff , 

Amphitheatre , 

Sea Lion Rock b , 



TotaL 



Harems. Pups, 'l^^^^f'' ' Harems. Pups. \IZ^S 



2,147 
1,084 
1,571 
1,091 
1,412 
565 
2, 020 

2,312 

831 
941 
3,691 
481 
4.58 



18, 604 



31.11 
45.16 
41.34 
23. 71 
35. 30 
37. 66 
39.60 

48.16 

43.73 
44.80 
51.26 
40.08 
38.16 



39.83 



369 



harem. 



1,858 
929 

1,447 
833 

1,289 
437 

1,841 

1,793 

696 
918 
3,320 
337 
361 



16, 059 



34.59 
40.39 
41.34 
27. 76 

35. 80 
48. 55 

42. 81 

56.03 

34.80 
76.50 
62. 64 
33.70 
30.08 



43.52 



Per cent 
harems. 



21.7 
4.1 
7.8 

34.7 

10 

40 

15.6 

33.3 

«5. 2 
38 

26.3 
16.6 



Decrease 
pups. 



13.4 
14.2 

7.8 
23.6 

8.7 
22.6 

8.8 

22.4 

16.2 
2.4 
10 

29.9 
21.1 



20.77 



o Increa.se. 

''On June 19, 1905, Sea Lion Rock had 45 bulls stationed. On July 28 it had 2,565 pups. No countof 
harems could be made at the proper time. The counts of bulls and of pups, therefore, are omitted in 
the above table, from which an average harem is obtained, based on actual counts of both harems 
and pups. 



7U 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Oil St. (ieorge, where pups on iill the rookeries are counted each 
year, the followinj>- count was made by Agent Chichester: 



Date. 


Rookery. 


Live 
pups. 


Dead 
pups. 


Dead 
cows. 


1905. 
Julv 29 


Zapadiii 


2,742 
4,047 
2, 148 
2,700 
650 
412 


45 
142 
14 
46 
3 
3 


3 


31 


North 


2 


31 
31 


Starava Artel 

East 


1 


31 


East Reef 




31 


Little East 






Total 






12,699 


253 


6 









Contrasted with the count on St. George for 1904, which showed 
13,312 live and 271 dead, a decrease of 033 pups on St. George is 
apparent, or 4.0 per cent. 

AVERAGE HAREM. 

The average harem for 1905. taken from the counts of pups just 
detailed, was 43.52 on St. Paul and 50.2 on St. George. In 1904 the 
average harem on St. Paul was 39.83; on St. George, 43.59. 

NUMBER OF BREEDING SEALS ON BOTH ISLANDS. 

From the actual count on St. Paul of pups on certain portions of 
the rookeries and an estimation of the num])er on the remaining por- 
tions, based on the numl)er in the average harems, a total of 1,50<) 
harems and 65,884 breeding cows is obtained. The harems enumerated 
contain 45 estimated for Sea Lion Rock. 

On St. George, by actual count, 258 harems and 12,952 breeding 
cows were found. 

The total number of breeding seals on both islands, therefore, is 
1,758 bulls with harems, and 78,836 cows. 

From similar ligures obtained in 1904, a decrease of 411 breeding 
bulls and 8,749 breeding cows is apparent, representing IS per cent 
decrease in breeding bulls and 9 per cent decrease in breeding cows. 

This percentage of decrease in cows, however, is based partially on 
estimation, as already stated, on St. Paul. The percentage of decrease 
in (!ows on that portion of the St. Paul rookeries, where actual counts 
were made, is 13.67 per cent, and is accepted by us as more accurately 
representing the rate of decrease than the whole census, which incor- 
porates an element of uncertainty. 

IDLE BULLS. 

In 1905, as ah-eady stated, there were 119 idle ])ulls on St. Paul, and 
22 on St. George, of all classes, or 141 for both islands. These inchide 
stationed bulls, without cows, as well as those young bulls appearing 
on the rookeries which leave on our approach, termed by us 
"quitters." 

In 1994 232 idle bulls on St. Paul and 62 idle on St. George were 
found, or 294 for both islands. This comparison shows that there has 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 71 

been a decrease of 153 idle bulls on both islands since IHOl, or 52 per 
cent. 

The total number of idle bulls on the two islands in 1905, including 
those young" males found on the rookery space but not stationed, is 7 
per cent of the whole number of bulls present. 



ENUMERATION OF ALL CLASSES. 

It has been seen already that 1,758 breeding bulls and 78,836 adult 
cows were present this season, together Avith 141 idle bulls. In addi- 
tion to this number of breeding seals, it is now desired to estimate, in 
accordance with the direction of the Department, the total number of 
individuals in all classes of seal life on the two islands. 

NUMBER OF HALF BULLS. 

In computing the number of half bulls present on the islands, refer- 
ence is had, of course, to the table of large seals rejected from the drives 
during the season. On 8t. Paul Island last summer 721 rejections 
occurred between the ages of 4 and 7 \"ears. To these must be added 
120 4-year-olds branded the year before and appearing in the drives 
this year, making a total number of 841 rejections on 8t. Paul Island 
of young male seals over 4 years of age. 

On St. George Island Mr. Chichester noted 177 dismissals of seals 
between the ages of 4 and 6 yeai's, both inclusive. The number of 
branded 4-year-olds seen there probably will bring up that number 
to 185. 

There were, therefore, on both islands 1,026 rejections of 3'oung 
seals above the age of 4 and under 8 years. 

It was estimated by me last year that at least 50 per cent more 
animals of this class were in existence than were seen in the drives. 
While the estimate is believed to be too low, it was adopted because 
of the desire to be well within the actual number in being. On this 
basis the addition of 50 per cent to the number of large young rejec- 
tions found on both islands would show 1.539 3'oung males present 
between the ages of 4 and 7 years. 

The number is nearly 500 in excess of that for the same class of 
animals present the preceding year. This increase is due directly to 
the enforcement of the regulations restricting the killing on the islands. 

NUMBER OF 3-YEAR-OLD BACHELORS. 

One thousand of this class of animals were branded this summer on 
the islands. The killings on St. Paul contained approximately 1,65(> 
skins, weighing between Ti and 9 pounds, first inclusive, thus making 
2,650 of this class handled. 

By consulting the table of rejections we find that 37 per cent were 
not present in any subsequent drive. Using this percentage as a 
basis, and increasing the number found this summer — 2,650 — by 37 
per cent, a total is reached of 3,630 3-}' ear-olds present this season. 
Deducting the number killed — 1,650 — there would then remain at the 
close of the season 1,980 3-year-old males. 

It was estimated in m\" report of 1904 that 5,500 2-3'ear-olds were in 



72 ALASKAN SEAL i^ISHERIES. 

oxisteiK'C at the close of the season. The fact that onl}' ;->,n;^>() 3-year- 
olds are shown by the precedincr lij>ures to have been hauled in li)05 
would raise the question as to the whereabouts of the difference 
between these two figures, or nearly 2,<)(»0 seals. Disregardino- the 
number of 3-year-old bachelors that may have hauled among the cows 
this sunnner and were not driven, it must be noted that the 2 and 3 
year old skins merg-e between the weights of 7 and 7i pounds. On 
St. Paul. HGS skins were taken weighing T i)()unds and 5s3 weighing 
7i pounds. How many of these were 2-year-olds and how many were 
3-3'ear-olds can not be determined, but in them possibly lies the solu- 
tion to the question as to the whereabouts of a portion of the 2,00Q 
3-vear-olds not accounted for. The mortality from natural causes, as 
well as that fi'om pelagic sealing among tli(»se animals, must be con- 
sidered also as having- lessened the niuuber. 

NUMBER OF 2-YEAR-OLUS PRESENT. 

On St. Paul, in 190.5, 800 2-year-olds were l^randed and released 
and 1.005 rejections of branded 2-year-olds made during- the same 
time. This would show that the dismissals this 3^ear of this class of 
animals exceeded by 25 per cent the whole number known to be 
branded. 

The number of dismissals of small unbranded seals on St. Paul in 
1905 was 5,5-18, of which probably 500 w^ere yearlings. This leaves 
practicall}^ 5,000 rejections of 2-year-olds. By the proportion of ani- 
mals present, ascertained by the rejections of branded 2-year-olds, a 
reduction of 25 per cent from this number should be made to repre- 
sent the actual number of animals embraced, which would show 3,750 
2-year-olds actually present in the class of dismissed seals. Adding 
to this number the 800 branded, and allowing 1,000 for 2-year-old 
bachelors not driven, would give a total of 5,550 remaining for St. 
Paul. 

On St. George 2,077 small rejections occurred. Deducting 25 per 
cent from the number, gives 1,500 animals actually present. Adding- 
to these the 200 branded on the island, would make a total of 1,700 
2-year-olds on St. George at the close of the season. 

It will thus be seen that on the two islands 7,200 2-year olds remain 
at the end of the season of 1905. It was estimated by me in 1904 that 
21,324 3^earling l)achelors were then present. They would, of course, 
return to the islands in 1905 as 2 year-olds. An opportunity is had, 
therefore, of testing the value of the former estimate. 

The catch this year included approximately 12,000 2-year-old skins. 
Adding to these the 7,200 2-year-olds estimated as still remaining, 
would give 19,200 2-3'ear-olds accounted for. The diflerence between 
the estimate and the number returning to the islands, as in the case of 
3-\"ear-olds, may easilv be accounted for when animals not driven are 
considered as well as mortalitv^ at sea. 

2-YEAR-OLD cows. 

It was estimated last year that 21,324 yearling- females were present. 
By the methods used last year it was estimated also that 30 per cent of 
the yearlings of one season would perish during the migration which 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



73 



they would make before they would return to the islands as 2-year- 
olds. Applying- this reduction to the 21,324 yearling cows of 1904 
would bring back 11,927 2-year-old cows in 1905. 

I believe this estimate of 2-3"ear-old cows for 1905 to be well within 
the actual number present. 

YEARLING SEALS. 

In 1904 it was estimated that 87,585 pups were born on the two 
islands. Assuming that they were equally divided as regards sex, and 
allowing a 50 per cent mortality as having taken place during their 
first migration, would bring back to the islands in 1905 21,896 yearling- 
males and 21.896 yearling females. 

Pelagic sealing, however, is especially destructive to this class of 
animals, because thev spend the greater portion of their time in the 
water. A deduction for pelagic sealing of 3,000 from each of these 
classes would leave 18,896 yearling males and 18,896 j'earling females 
present about the islands in 1905. 

SUMMARY OF ALL CLASSES. 



From the actual counts made, and from the estimates already 
detailed, it is safe to state the total number of seals of all classes 
present on the two islands as follows: 

Breeding cows 78, 836 

2-year-old cows 14, 927 

Yearling cows. 18, 896 

New-born pups 78, 836 



Bulls with harems 1 , 758 

Adult idle bulls 141 

Half-bulls 1, 539 

3-year-old bachelors 1 , 980 

2-year-old bachelors 7, 200 

Yearling bachelors 18, 896 



Total 223,009 



SCARCITY OF BULLS. 

In connection with the increase in the average harem, from 39.83 on 
St. Paul and 43.59 on St. George in 1904, to 43.52 on St. Paul and 
50.2 on St. George in 1905, owing to the decrease in breeding bulls 
occurring during the interval, it is thought necessary to call the atten- 
tion of the Department to the condition in which the breeding rookeries 
on S^. Paul were found at the height of the season with reference to a 
sufficiency of adult males. 

The presence of a smaller number of bulls on the rookeries was, of 
course, established early in the season before the advent of the cow\s, 
by counts made upon the arrival of the bulls and a comparison of the 
same w^th those of the preceding season. 

The question of the sufficiency of male life received my closest 
attention, and my observations were ably ampliiied by those of Agent 
Judge. 

SCARCITY OF BULLS ON ROOKERIES. 

As has been stated previousl}^, 1,455 bulls with harems were found 
on St. Paul Island in 1905, as against 1,790 in 1904, a decrease of 335 
in the number of harems. These figures exclude the harems on Sea 
Lion Rock. 



ti ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

This decrease of 335 breeding- bulls represents a loss of 18 per cent. 
The decrease in (^ows on the space actually counted on St. Paul was 
13.6 per cent, while the decrease on th(^ liiial estimated number of cows 
on the whole island was 10 per cent. 

Since the rate of loss in breedino- l)ulls is larger than that in breed- 
ing cows, it must follow that the averaoe harem in 1905 would be 
larger than that of the previous year, or, in plain terms, each surviv- 
ing bull would be required to serve in 1905 a greater number of cows 
than in 1904. 

ABSENCE OF IDLE BILLS ON CERTAIN ROOKERIES. 

In the intermediate counts made b}' Mr. Judge and mvself of breed- 
ing seals it was soon learned that while there were idle bulls present 
on certain rookeries in sufficient number to increase proper service of 
the cows, on other rookeries the bulls stationed were practically all 
occupied with cows, leaving no surplus for emergencies. • 

On Ardiguen, from Jul}" 1 to 13, the 9 stationed bulls on the rook- 
ery all had cows. On July 11, at nearly the height of the season, the 
cows present on land on that rookery made an average harem, for all 
bulls stationed, of 29. This does not take into account the cows absent 
at sea feeding. During this period from one to four young bulls, were 
present on the rookery, but did not succeed in getting cows and went 
into the water on the slightest alarm. 

The average harem for this rooker}" (Ardiguen) as determined by 
the count of pups was -18.55. This means of course that these cows 
were not evenly distributed in this exact proportion, but that some 
bulls had twice this number, while others had correspondingly less. 
The number of cows present in each harem, as determined by my 
count on July 11, was as follows: 20, IT, 26, 31, 66, 52, 16, 29, 1. 

A ''quitter" or young bull was present on the date on which harems 
were counted, but was hauled on the extreme end of the rookery apart 
from the cows. 

From this count it can be seen that 2 bulls had, respectively, 6() and 
52 cows present in their harems at the time of the count. How man}^ 
cows already served l)y the bull were absent at sea at this date from 
these large harems is not possible to state, but as our count of pups 
showed that at the height of the season not over 60 per cent of cows 
were present on the rookery, the addition of 40 per cent to these large 
harems would bring the total number of cows served hy these two 
harem masters to 72 and 92, respectively. 

NO IDLE BULLS ON AMPHITHEATER. 

On the Amphitheater of Ketovi, from July 5 to July 23 (after wdiich 
date no further counts were made by us), there were no bulls stationed 
that were not employed with cows, except on July 8 when one bull 
was idle for that da}- only. During the period from July 8 to 11 
three young " quitters'" were present without cows. After that date 
two of them, so far as we know, obtained cows in independent harems. 
The third either disiippeared from the rookery or took the place of an 
old bull exhausted W rookery work. At the height of the season 
there were 12 bulls on the rookeiy, all occupied with cows. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 75 

On Ketovi rooker}' during- the height of the .season not over 3 sta- 
tioned idle bulls were present. On Jul}' 21 all bulls on this rookery 
were engaged with cows. On July 13 out of the 57 bulls stationed 
54 had cows. 

This rookery, it will be noted, received a stead}' accession of bulls 
up to the 19th of July, when 6<» bidls were stationed and 59 occupied 
with cows. On the i6th of June, by which date all bulls, according 
to the old reports, are expected to have arrived and stationed them- 
selves, there were only 42 stationed and 7 young '" quitters." 

On Lagoon, on July 13, 25 bulls were present and 23 had cows. One 
'"quitter" was present. 

On Lukanin, on July 11, 46 bulls were stationed and 43 had harems. 
On July 13, 45 were stationed and 43 had harems. On the 11th there 
was one ''quitter,'' and on the 13th two "quitters.'''' The greatest 
number of cows were present on these two days. 

On Vostoshni, the west side of Northeast Point, when harems were 
counted on July 16. 32 bulls were present, all of which had cows. On 
this rookery, or rather this end of Northeast Point rookery, the aver- 
age harem was 56. 

On Morjovi, the east side of Northeast Point, 20 bulls were stationed, 
each having a harem. A "quitter'" was present on an abandoned por- 
tion of the rookery. The average harem on this side was 34. 

On the entire rookery at Northeast Point at the height of the sea- 
son, July 16, 378 bulls were stationed. Of these 362 were masters of 
harems, leaving 16 idle. As the shore line of this rookery, the largest 
on either island, extends over 3 miles, the presence of only 16 idle bulls 
on this entire stretch of rookery space is significant. 

At this time 11 quitters were noted in addition. These undoubtedly 
found cows later. 

On Polovina, out of 56 bulls present on July 16, wdien harems were 
counted, only 3 were idle. There were 3 quitters or young bulls pres- 
ent also. The average harem on this rookery was 62.64. 

On Polovina Cliff, out of 36 bulls present on July 16, none were 
idle. One young quitter was present in addition. 

On Little Polovina, on the same date, 12 bulls were stationed and 
all had cows. There were no quitters. On this rookery the largest 
average harem on the island was found — 76. 5. This, in connection 
with the fact that no idle bulls were present, emphasizes a scarcity of 
bulls in this locality. On the Reef, where harems were counted on 
July 13, 275 stationed bulls were found. Of these 261 had harems, 
leaving 14 idle. Had the harems on this rookery been counted three 
days later a much smaller number of idle bulls probably would have 
been found. Five quitters were present also. 

On Tolstoi, out of 143 bulls stationed. 136 were engaged with cows 
on July 14 and 7 were idle. These idle bulls would have been quit- 
ters on another rookery, but on Tolstoi, being behind the mass and 
rather far inland, they were not able on our approach to reach the 
water without traversing the rookery area and being severely handled 
by bulls. They retreated only a short distance on our approach and 
were termed ""idle bulls." 

On Tolstoi Cliff 35 bulls were stationed on July 14, and all had 
cows. Three quitters were present on the water line. 

On Zapadni 200 bulls were found on July 14, and of these 21 were 
idle, in addition to 7 quitters. 



'0 



ALASKAX SEAL FISHERIES. 



On Littlo Zapadiii, on July 14, Si hulls were stationed. Of these 
78 were occupied with cows and 3 were found idle. There were also 
8 (luittors. 

On Zapadni Reef, on the same date, 82 stationed hulls were found, 
of which only '1 were idle. There were no quitters. 

On (rorhatch. out of 124 stationed bulls, only 2 w('r(> idle on duly 18, 
when hai'enis were counted. Six quitters were j)resent. 

On Gorl)atch Cliti'. on Juh' 18, of lU bulls found, all were occupied 
with harems. 

PERCENTAGE OF IDLE HULLS. 

It will be seen, thus, that of the whole number of bulls present 
onl}" a ver\' small number was idle, and in the cases of certain rook- 
eries there were no idle bulls at the hei(»'ht of the season. 

The quitters at the climax of the sealino- season are youno- bulls, full 
of procreative power and desirous of the female, but not yet full}' 
equipped in either weig-ht or courage. I have noted repeatedly 3'oung 
bulls with harems which sometimes woidd number a dozen cows 
pluno-e into the sea at my approach. The possession of cows, how- 
ever, gives courag-e. and I have been chased repeatedly by young- 
quitters that previously gave ground, but which had gotton a cow or 
two and with them the courag'e to tight for a continuance of their 
possession. 

A quitter, however, is not a rookery bull until he is in possession of 
cows. It is not proper to class as an idle bull a young male that pre- 
sents himself only in a place on the rookery where there are no cows, 
and therefore where there is no rivalry. The quitter generally sees 
no service until after the vigilance of the regular bulls is relaxed, and 
the served cows wander iilmost at will over the rookeries in search of 
their pups. 

In determining, therefore, the percentage of idle bulls present at 
the height of the season no account will be taken of the quitters. A 
list of these, however, is added for the purpose of showing the full 
rookery population: 



Rookery. 



Ardiguen 

Amphi 

Ketovi 

Lagoon 

Lukanin 

Northeast Point 

Polovina 

Polovina Cliff.. 
Little Polovina 

Reef 

Tolstoi Cliff .... 

Zapadni 

Little Zapartni . 
Zapadni Reef . . 

Gorbatcli 

Gorbatch Cliff.. 
Tolstoi 

Total 



Stationed 
bulls. 



Idle, i Quitters. 



12 
57 
25 
45 
378 



1,530 



36 1 





1 




12 




275 I 
35 


14 
3 


5 
3 


5 


200 

81 ' 
32 i 


10 
3 
('1 


124' 

10 1 


■■^ 


(j 


1 


143 ' 


- 




\ 











Per eeut 
idle. 



It can 1)6 seen, therefore, that wdthout the inclusion of the quitters 
or young bulls not stationed only 4.8 per cent of all stationed bulls 
present were idle at the height of the season on St. Paul. If we were 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. i ^ 

to include the 44 quitters, the percentage of idle would l)e onl}- 7.5. 
But as these young bulls not stationed can not be counted upon for 
service until after the season is over, we must accept the percentage 
of idle bulls during the breeding season as being only 4.8. 

IDLE BULLS MARK THE SAFETY LIMIT. 

In my report for 1!:M)3 I stated that the presence or absence of idle 
bulls w^as the only means of proving whether or not there is a suffi- 
ciency of male life: 

With a number of idle bulls present we are certain tluit the powers of the harem 
masters are not unduly taxed. ?"hnnnate the idle bulls entirely, however, and w'e 
are forced to theorize in the treatment of the question whether the number of bulls 
is sufficient, an<l whether all cows are impregnated. The destruction of the supply 
of idle bulls, therefore, marks the line beyond which it is improper to go with abso- 
lute certainty of safety. 

At the time this was written 1 was not aware of the presence, in 
the report of Fur-8eal Investigations on the Pribilof Islands, 1896-7, 
of a statement by ]Mr. Frederick W. Lucas of similai- ettect to that in 
my report just quoted. The extract from Mr. Lucas's paper is here 
given, as the statement of a scientist, at a time when the condition 
under discussion was expected never to occur: 

The size of the harems and the number of surplus bulls i^i a safe guide to the con- 
dition of the rookeries for breeding purposes, the increase or decrease of the total 
numl^er of seals being naturally quite another thing, although the two should be 
carefully compared with one another. If the number of surplus bulls is large and 
the size of harems small, either the rookeries are shrinking or the number of bulls 
increasing, and immediate steps should be taken to ascertain which is the case, in 
order to decide whether more seals may be advantageously killed, or whether there 
is an unexpected number of deaths among the cows. The total disappearance of the 
idle, waiting, or reserved bulls, as they have been variously called, would be a warn- 
ing of the most emphatic nature to immediately lessen the number to be killed for 
since the seal herd is for a great portion of the year quite beyond the control of man, 
it will always be necessary to allow a liberal margin of bulls for breeding purposes. 

It is submitted that "the total disappearance" of. idle bulls is 
imminent when only 4 per cent of this class is present. How man}^ of 
these idle bulls have physical defects which preclude an active engage- 
ment in the duties of a harem master, ancl consequently force them 
into the idle class, is not possible to tell. With the probability that 
some of these idle bulls may be physically incompetent, it is thought 
that the situation this summer nearly represents a practical disappear- 
ance of the reserve or waiting bulls. 

IDLE BULLS ABSENT ON CERTAIN ROOKERIES. 

It is certain, at least, that some of the rookeries on the island present 
the condition of having no idle or reserve bulls. These are Gorbatch 
Cliti', Ardiguen, AniDhitheater of Ketovi, Little Polovina, Polovina 
Clift', and Tolstoi Cliff. 

These are nearly all ends of larger rookeries, and it may be said in 
their defense, first, that they occupy a narrow shore line under cliffs, 
which do not permit of the stationing of a great number of seals at 
any time, and, secondly, that as the diminution in seals is most apparent 
on the thinly-settled ends of rookeries, it will probably show more 
plainly on these parts mentioned than on the main rookeries themselves. 



78 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

But when it is remombered tiiat at the season's height only 2 idle 
bulls were found on Gorbatch, which had an estimated number of 
5,30!) cows; only 3 idle on Ketovi. with 1.S5S l)reodinj)^ cows actually 
present, as was shown by a count of pups; only 2 idle on Lukanin, 
with 1,S4L cows present F)y count: 3 on Ijittle Zapadni, with 3,;:>i)4 
cows estimated: only 8 on Little Palovina. with 8.820 cows counted, 
and only 7 on Tolstoi, with 5.918 cows estimated, it can be seen that 
even on the central rookeries, where space for expansion is practical!}' 
unlimited and where ten years ago thousands of idle bulls were to be 
found, the number of idle bulls is so small as to be practically 
unserviceable. 

SUPPLY OF IDLE BULLS NOT MOBILE. 

The idle l)ulls present durino- the summer are stationed, and as a 
rule do not move from their positions until after the harems have 
broken up. If they were available, as the reserve corps of an army, to 
be moved f I'om place to place in support of others hard pressed, greater 
service from them could be secured. But such is not the case. A 
mass of 1,000 cows might have l)ut a few bulls in its midst upon whom 
probably I'ookery duties fell heavil3\ while a hundred yards away idle 
bulls may be found, tenacious of their position, but apparently still 
waiting for cows to come to them. 

In this respect the fur seal can not be compared to the wild deer, 
kine, or horse, the male of w^hich species searches for the female. 
They can not be compared to any animal, in fact, except that of which 
the male remains in one spot and is sought by the female. 

In view of this immobility of stationed bulls, therefore, a healthy 
condition of the rookeries will require, to my mind, enough surplus 
bulls that they may be stationed at intervals over the entire length of 
the rookeries to take advantage of the tirst sympk)m of weakness in a 
harem master, and by worsting him in battle gain possession of his 
harem. This, in my opinion, is the normal condition which must exist 
in nature, and is the condition which as nearly as possible should be 
maintained on the rookeries under the supervision of man. 

BACHELORS ON BREEDING GROUNDS. 

There were so few bulls on certain rookeries on St. Paul Island this 
summer that, b}' reason of their scarcity, the harems were broken up 
before the usual period, and bachelors were able to haul among the 
cows. 

This occurred at a date when these young seals should have been 
excluded from the breeding grounds by vigilant bulls, and been forced 
to haul up, if they desired to haul at all, only on the bachelors haul- 
ing ground. 

This condition, in our opinion, is due to the scarcity of breeding 
males on the rookeries generally, and to their being so taxed in special 
localities with the service of the cows that they were unable or unwill- 
ing to drive out the bachelors. Had idle bulls been sufiicientl}' numer- 
ous this condition would not have occurred. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES, 79 

EVIDENCES OF SCARCITY OF BULLS. 

The decrease iir bulls, as compared with previous seasons, was early 
known by our dail}' counts. A\'hen harems were counted on St. Paul 
Island by Mr. Judge and myself this summer, it was noted that less 
ditiiculty was experienced by us from vicious bulls than ever before. 

In counting harems it is necessary often to obtain a position com- 
manding as well a good view of beach line and plateau. These posi- 
tions are usually surrounded by bulls with harems. To gain them it 
is necessary to drive offi.these bulls, and to hold them away during the 
few minutes necessary to complete the count in that locality. This is 
done bv means of several agile native men and light bamboo poles 
about 10 feet in length. In thus going among the bulls more or less 
difficulty is encountered. 

Several years ago certain vantage points on the Reef, Tolstoi, and 
Zapadni points were al)solutely unattainable by reason of the number 
and aggressiveness of bulls present. This year no trouble whatever was 
experienced in reaching these points. Where hitherto we were obliged 
to drive bulls off, in certain places none were encountered. In others 
we went directly into the mass of bulls with the aid of only two boys, 
and could stand there without any serious clanger. In masses little 
aggressiveness was found. As contrasted with our experience of past 
3'ears, this condition was so unusual as to cause immediate remark. 

CONDITION AT NORTHEAST POINT. 

A large mass of seals has always been present at Northeast Point, 
under Hutchinson Hill. Harems on this rookery were counted July 
16, a date when compactness in the rookery formation should be 
greatest. It was surprising, therefore, to see at this time cows scat- 
tered loosely all over the sand flat under the hill, the disintegrated 
mass extending from the beach line back to the hill. At tirst glance 
this was attributed to the heavy rain falling at the time, creating pud- 
dles of filthy slime, and supposedly causing the cows to scatter out in 
search of firmer ground. 

As I was taking photographs of the rookeries 1 went ahead to make 
the necessar}' exposures before the formation of the cows should be 
disturbed by the counting of the harems. Mr. Judge followed with 
two natives and made the count. He stated that the bulls were practi- 
cally docile and that no trouble was experienced in penetrating the 
mass of seals. He stated, also, that in his opinion the bulls were taxed 
to such an extent as to have virtually lost control of the breeding 
grounds, and that this was the reason for their unusual amiability. 
He noted also that a great proportion of the supposed cows scattered 
about were bachelors. 

On July 20 we again visited the point to kill seals as well as to ob- 
serve the mass and to take additional photographs. On tliat date the 
mass had the same loose appearance as on the 16th. No bachelors 
could be seen on the usual hauling grounds on either side of the hill 
from which the drive was to be made the following day. Although a 
close inspection could not be made without the risk of stampeding 
what seals were there, from the top of the hill bacheloi-s could be seen 
among the cows, especially the branded ones, their shaved heads being 
conspicuous marks. 



80 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

On the next day, July 21, a drive was made from tliis rooker}- and 
no bachelors were gotten from the haulino- ijrounds under Hutchinson 
Hill. A small drive was secured from two other hauling- orounds, 
from which oidy lOi) skins were taken and 234 seals dismissed. 

The insio-iiiticance of tiiis killing from t\w largest rookery on the 
island, at a sesison of the year when small bachelors are supposed to 
be most plentifid on land, and when a thousand seals in a drive would 
not have l)een unusual, was startling. 

This failure of bachelors on the hauling ground was looked upon as 
a verification of the result of our observations on the 16th. As the 
rookery now could be inspected closely without danger of stampeding 
killable seals, Mr. Judge and Mr. Redpath, the latter going at my 
request while 1 counted skins in the salt house, went to Hutchinson 
Hill to make a critical examination of the V)ody of seals hauled under 
it. The situation found can best be described by quoting from Mr. 
Judge's notes: 

The bachelors could be seen in considerable nuniljers at the foot of the hill and 
along both sides of the triangle forming the mass. Bulls were ver_v scarce. Only 1 
bull was on the hill. He had a harem of 12 cows. No other bull was within 100 
feet of the liase of the hill. Cows, pups, and bachelors were huddled together. 
The bachelors are cleaner than the cows, and generally show silvery breasts, while 
cows show breasts of dirty yellow. Bachelors i)lay a good deal, while there is very 
little playing among the cows. Seven branded bachelors were observed among the 
lot. 

At close range the. bachelors were more easily distinguished. There is no doubt 
in my mind that the number of bachelors mixed with the cows under Hutchinson 
Hill exceeded those driven this morning, namely, 843 of all sizes. 

Mr. Redpath was of the opinion that most of the bachelors seen would have been 
under size for killing. 

The result of the investigation by Mr. Judge and Mr. Redpath ver- 
ified the conclusion reached on the 16th, that the bulls, being few in 
numbers, were overtaxed, and had lost control of the breeding ground. 
Taking advantage of this condition, the bachelors had hauled among 
the cows, which accounted for the smallness of the drive on the 21st. 

The absolute necessity for the presence of idle bulls is here empha- 
sized. Had there been enough of this class present the places of 
overtaxed bulls would have been usurped, and the rookery discipline 
maintained wnth even increased vigor. At this particular point, 
however, there were no idle bulls. 

CONDITION ON OTHER ROOKERIES. 

Having found this situation to exist at Northeast Point, it was 
thought possible that perhaps the same existed at Polovina and Tolstoi, 
from which rookeries practically no bachelors have been driven for 
several years. 

A stop was made at Polovina on our way from Northeast Point on 
the 21st, and Messrs. Judge and Redpath and myself visited that 
rookery. We were not able to verify our assumption with regard to 
this rookery. By reason of the flatness of the approach to it, only 
the rearmost harems could be inspected, and those only with caution, 
lest the cows be stampeded. While we found six 2- year-old bachelors 
in two small harems at the rear, we found also the harem formations to 
be much better preserved than at Hutchinson Hill. The bulls seemed 
active in preventing the escape of the cows and in rounding them up 
into their harems. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 81 

The fact, however, remains that onl}^ 3 idle bulls were found on 
this rookery at the heioht of the season. That the bulls present with 
cows were still a'ble to maintain their harems on the 21st is more a 
tribute to their vitalit}' than proof that enough adult males were 
present. 

On the 23d Mr. Judge examined Reef rookery. He found that the 
bachelors there were hauling by themselves, and did not see any evi- 
dences of w^eakness in bulls. 

On the 24:th Mr. Judge \isited Tolstoi to discover whether bache- 
lors were present there iimong the cows. He found, he stated, at least 
one-fourth of the supposed cows present to consist of bachelors, which, 
as we believe, are permitted to haul among the cows by reason of the 
absence of idle bulls, which, even at this late date, would be eager to 
preserve the harems intact. 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS CONDITION. 

This condition apparent at Hutchinson Hill and at Tolstoi (although 
in a greater degree at the lirst-mentioned place) gives us, so far as we 
know, the first intimation that at certain localities on the isl^ind bulls 
are not present in sufficient numbers to maintain a first-class rookery 
service. 

This situation, in the cases noted, carries with it its own remed3\ 
The scarcity of bulls allows the bachelors and half-bulls to mingle with 
the cows. These young animals. 3 j'ears of age and over, are competent 
to perform the functions of procreation. . Their presence among the 
cows, in my opinion, insures service to all cows in heat not reached at 
once b}^ a bull. 

PRESENT REGULATIONS AMPLE. 

The present scarcity of bulls is attributable directly to close killing 
on land, from which not enough bachelors were allowed to escape from 
the killing fields to maintain the requisite proportion of bulls. 

For the last two 3'ears, however, regulations have been in force on 
the islands as the result of which a considerable number of bachelors 
are exempted from killing and allowed to escape. The animals thus 
saved are not old enough to appear upon the rookeries. It will be 
necessary for two more years to elapse before these animals may be 
counted upon. From that time, however, with the continuance of the 
regulations, it is believed that an ample supply of bulls will be present. 

PRESENT REGULATIONS SHOULD BE CONTINUED. 

Since it appears that a scarcit}^ of bulls is threatened on the islands, 
and, in fact, has occurred actually on several of the rooker}^ spaces on 
St. Paul, any change in the present regulations looking to a lessening 
of the restrictions placed on killing on the islands would be wholly 
unwise. 

The result of these regulations can not be felt before 1907, as has in 
effect been stated. During the interval which must elapse before that 
time a steady decrease in bulls will be encountered. The closest killing 
on land occurred during the seasons of 1902 and 1903. In the latter 
season the lessees released from the drives on St. Paul only 983 small 
seals. This practical annihilation of bachelors for this year will be 
felt on the rookeries four years thereafter, or in 1907. 
S. Doc. 98—05 6 



82 ALASKAN SEAL FISHP^RIES. 

Since we are obliged to face in 19(M) and lyoT this extra heavy 
decrease occurrino- from the closer killing in 11»0'2 and 19(13, no reduc- 
tion in the nnniber of l)achelor8 now saved on the islands should be 
made until (he rookeries themselves show an influx of male life suffi- 
cient to more than offset the yearly mortality. 

SIMILAR CONDITION ON RUSSIAN ISLANDS. 

The condition of a scarcity of bulls on certain rookeries and the 
presence of bachelors among the cows has existed on the Russian Com- 
mander Islands for years. 

On the rookei'ies of Bering Island it has been the practice, in obtain- 
ing bachelors for killing, to drive ofl' the entire rookery in order to 
pick out the bachelors from among the cows and pups. 

It is stated ]\v Doctor Stejneger. in his report on the Commander 
Islands (Kept. Fur Seal Inves., pt. 4, p. -I'l'I). that this is no new feature 
due to the decrease in seals, and that Hie same thing took place in 1882 
and 1888, in the palmiest days of the sealing business. 

It must not be overlooked, however, that the rookeries on which 
Doctor Stejneger states this unusual driving occurs in recent years 
have had few bulls and a large average harem. On page 99 of the 
report cited it is stated that m the drive of North Rookery. August 
22, 1895. 3. ()()<» cows and only 8 bulls were driven. While this was so 
late in the season as to form no idea as to the number of bulls present 
at the season's height, it shows, at least, that bulls there were very 
scarce. 

On South Rookery in July, 1897, on this same island, Doctor Stej- 
neger counted 520 cows and only 2 bulls. 

While not desiring to oppose Doctor Stejneger's theory that a suffi- 
ciency of bulls was present on these rookeries, I desire to point out 
that the presence of bachelors among cows is found coincident with a 
scarcity of bulls on both the Commander and the Pribilof islands. 
Wi-thout hazarding any opinion as to the cause of this condition on the 
Conmiander Islands, oiir judgment is that on the Pribilofs the presence 
of bachelors among cows in such unusual numbers is due to a scarcity 
of bulls. 

LIMIT TO PROCREATIVE POWER OF BULLS. 

Much has been said of the wonderful procreative power of bulls, 
and the theory has been advanced that a bull can serve without dis- 
comfort as many cows as he is able to get aaid hold. 

Our experience this summer has convinced us that there is a limit 
to a bull's capacity, and that the bulls on the rookeries at the height of 
the season had come nearer to reaching it than ever before in our 
knowledge. When it w,as possible on fluly 13 to penetrate the mass 
of breeding seals on the reef, and on July 11 that on Zapadni, meeting 
with no more opposition than could be met successfully by two men 
armed with light poles, it must be believed that the luills at these places 
were taxed to such a limit as to be shorn of most of their aggressive- 
ness. On Julv 16 Mr. Judge with two men went through the mass 
under Hutchinson Hill on the plateau near the shore line, and experi- 
enced but little trouble. To have done this live years ago with the 
same mass would have been impossible. 



ALASKAN SEAL FIBHEEIES. 83 

ALL COWS WERE SERVED. 

There is no intention to convey the meaning that the cows on the 
Pribilofs suffered ,f roui hick of service. No evidence to that effect 
could be found. The presence of bachelors among the cows is an 
additional assurance that none were suffered to go without impregna- 
tion. It is intended to show only that in performing rookery service 
this 3'ear the harem masters were put to greater exertion than before 
observed bj^ us. 

This, taken in connection with the lack of a sufficiency of idle bulls, 
demonstrates that the regulations of the Department restricting kill- 
ing should be rigidly enforced in their present state, until such time 
as the rookeries show a greater proportion of bulls present. 

CENSUS OF NATIVE INHABITANTS. 

Censuses of both islands, taken June 30, 1905, are herewith sub- 
mitted as exhibits. 

That of St. Paul shows 164 actual residents, of which 82 are males 
and 82 females. Seven deaths and 8 births occurred during the year. 
There were 2 departures and -1 arrivals, making a net increase in popu- 
lation on St. Paul of 3 individuals. 

The census of St. George shows 89 actual residents. During the 
year 5 deaths and no births occurred on the island. One native arrived 
from St. Paul and 2 natives departed to reside on St. Paul. The cen- 
sus of St. George, therefore, shows a net decrease in the population 
during the year of (5 individuals. 

The total population of both islands, taken from the above censuses, 
is 253 actual residents, a decrease of 3 from those of 1901. 

DIVISION OF NATIVE EARNINGS. 

The earnings of the St. Paul natives during the season ended Au- 
gust, 1905, for taking 13,000 fur-seal skins at 50 cents each, and 8 sea- 
lion skins at $2 each, were $6,516, which sum was divided among the 
native sealers in the manner detailed in the exhibit hereto attached, 
marked "Division of natives' earnings, St. Paul Island, Alaska, season 
of 1905." The amounts allotted to each sealer, as noted on the divi- 
sion, have been placed to the credit of each, respectively, and are being 
disbursed for the purchase of articles necessary to their maintenance 
on orders issued b}' the Government agent. 

The earnings of the St. George natives for taking 258 blue-fox skins 
at ^5 each and 10 white-fox skins at $1 each, during the season of 
1901-5, amounted to $1,300. Their earnings during the same season 
for taking 1,368 seal skins at 50 cents a skin amounted to $684. These 
amounts are being disbursed for maintenance in the same manner as 
the earnings on St. Paul. 

A copy of the St. George seal division is submitted herewith as an 
exhibit. The fox division is to be found as an exhibit to Agent Judge's 
report, which is also attached as an exhibit. 

APPORTIONMENT OF GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATION. 

The appropriation of 119,500 made by the Government for the sup- 
port of these natives during the fiscal year 1906, after deducting 
|9,625 for 385 tons of coal to be delivered during that period, was 



84 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

apportioned bctweon the two islands l)y allotting- ^5,210 to St. Paul 
and i^4:,H()5 to St. George. 

The deduction for coal was made at the rate of ^25 per ton, at which 
rate I was instructed M' the Department to anticipate payment. As 
I understand, the Department has since tixed a rate of ^20 a ton, the 
difference of $l.'.'2o on the amount ordered, caused by the reduction 
of the rate by $5 a ton, will be used for tlie purciiase of articles 
needed by the natives, but of which they are now deprived by this 
threatened increase in the price of coal. 

In the middle of March, 1905, the natives' supply of coal on St. 
Paul, which was required to last them until the following June, was 
reduced to about 20 tons. The natives after 'that date were required 
to gather driftwood to heat their dwellings until the arrival of the 
company's vessel in June. 

company's expenditures under lease. 

Under that portion of the Department's instructions to me whereby 
I am directed to obtain from the lessee of the sealing right a statement of 
its expenditures in complying with that portion of its contract requir- 
ing it to provide schools, dwellings, houses of worship, and physicians 
and medical attendance for the native inhabitants of the seal islands 
and the necessaries of life for "widows, orphans, aged and inlirm 
inhabitants" of the same, I requested the general agent of the lessee, 
Mr. Redpath, to furnish me with the necessar}^ data on the subject. 

That for St. George Island was delivered to Agent Chichester, on 
that island, and by him transmitted to me. It is herewith inclosed as 
an exhibit. 

The statement for St. Paul was promised. Not being forthcoming 
at the time of the departure of the company's vessel, in August, 1 
made a second request, in person, for its delivery. I was informed in 
reph% l)}^ Mr. Davis, the lessee company's secretar}', who was on St. 
Paul at the time, that the data necessary to make the statement would 
be sent to the company's office at San Francisco, and the report fur- 
nished me there. 

Upon my arrival at San Francisco I requested Mr. Taylor to fur- 
nish me with the information, which he agreed to do. He stated that 
he would forward the same at his earliest opportunit5\ 

Not having received the data mentioned on October 12, I addressed 
a formal letter to the president of the North American Commercial 
Compan3% requesting to be furnished with the statement desired by the 
Department, to which no reply has been received. A cop}^ of mj' 
letter to the company is hereto attached as an exhibit. 

PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROOKERIES. 

Photographs of the rookeries were taken this summer on either 
island and the plates forwarded to the Department. It is regretted 
that the rain and fog, present to an unusual degree on the islands at the 
height of the season, interfered with the quality of some of the nega- 
tives obtained. 

FOXES ON THE ISLANDS. 

No trapping of foxes was allowed on St. Paul Island during the 
winter of 1904-5, owing to their extreme scarcity. 

During the past two winters fox life on St. Paul has undoubtedly 



ALA8KAJSr SEAL FISHERIES. 85 

been at a lower ebb than at any time in the island's history. \A'arrens 
and fox trails are deserted. A solitary fox track was seen here and 
there in the snow during the last winter. No foxes were seen around 
the village. No feeding- could be done, had it been attempted, for no 
foxes were seen to feed. 

During the summer just passed, however, foxes on St. Paul could 
be seen in comparatively larger numbers. In our trips to Zapadni and 
Northeast Point several foxes could be seen on ever}- trip. One white 
fox shot by me during the winter on the reef was thickly covered 
with blubber and had a stomach full of arrie feathers. 

It is believed that the nucleus remaining on the island has sufficient 
food and is increasing in number>s. It is not known when trapping 
on kSt. Paul can again be taken up. 

The fox question on St. George is ably dealt with in the report of 
Agent Judge, herewith submitted. I can do no better than to refer the 
Department to his report for information as to the condition of fox 
life on that island. 

During the earl}" portion of the winter of 1904-5 natives visited 
Otter Island, and after a week's trapping returned with the pelts of 31 
blue foxes and 2 whites. The natives report that they did not kill all 
the foxes on that island. No trapping has been done on Otter Island 
since 1894, when, as I understand, all foxes there at that time were 
killed. Those killed there last winter probably reached there from 
St. Paul on the northern drift ice. 

LIST OF EXHIBITS. 

The following list of exhibits to this report is appended for reference: 

No. 1. Report of Agent James Judge, St. George, 1905. 

No. 2. Annual statement seals killed, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 3. Certificate of sealskins shipped, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 4. Weights of sealskins taken, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 5. Counts of rookeries, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 6. Statistics of killings, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 7. Census of native inhabitants, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 8. Division of natives' earnings, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 9. Cop}^ of letter requesting statistics, St. Paul, 1905. 

No. 10. Annual statement seals killed, St. George, 1905. 

No. 11. Weights of sealskins taken, St. George, 1905. 

No. 12. Counts of rookeries, St. George, 1905. 

No. 13. Seals released from drives, St. George, 1905. 

No. 14. Statistics of branding, St. George, 1905. 

No. 15. Counts of live pups, St. George, 1905. 

No. 16. Seal division, natives' earnings, St. George, 1905. 

No. 17. Census of native inhabitants, St. George, 1905. 

No. 18. Expenditures by company for support natives, St. George, 1905. 

Respectfully, 

W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent hi Charge Seal Islands. 

The Secretary of Commerce and Labor. 



86 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

EXHIIUT 1. 
KEI'ORT OF AGENT .lAMES JUDGE. 

St. Geokge Island, Junes, ly05. 
Dear Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of affairs on St. George 
Island, covering the interval from August 14, 1904, to date: 



On October 7 Little East Rookery was carefully gone over for the purpose of 
counting dead pups, but none were found. 

At that season foxes in greater or less numbers are always present on the rookeries 
and quickly eat the pups or older animals that may hapi)en to die. Pup skulls were 
frequently found during Sei)temlier in the rear of the rookeries, where they had 
undoubtedly been left by the foxes, the bodies having been devoured. 

Further counting of dead pups was therefore not attempted, as it seemed a disturb- 
ance of the seals to no good purpose. 

The first food drive was made October 19; killed 59; dismissed 6 large, 197 small, 
and 6 brands. Two of the latter were from St. Paul. While all brands were very 
faint, those made with shears were less discernible than those made with hot irons. 
Just the slightest trace of a brand on one of the dead informed us that the wrong 
animal had been knocked down. The skin weighed 8 pounds. That other 3-year- 
olds branded in the spring, on which the fur had grown out so that the brand had 
become obliterated, were also killed is more than probable, as 69 per cent of the 
dead skins weighed 7 pounds and over, the heaviest weighing 9 pounds. 

The average of this class of animals killed from the 20th to the 30th of last July 
was 43 per cent, while that on St. Paul during the entire sealing season was only 34 
per cent. The paucity of branded seals in the drive as compared with drives made 
in July lead to the same conclusion. (See statistics regular killing for quota 1904.) 

At all subsequent killings I endeavored to restrict the slaughter to 2-year-olds, 
with considerable success. 

October 24 a food drive was made from East rookery and 30 killed. Among this 
lot 2 skins were found that had been branded, but the brands were too faint for detec- 
tion while the animal was alive. These skins weighed 6| jwunds each. 

That other branded 2-year-olds on which the brands had entirely disappeared 
were killed during the autumn is more than probable, but for this there was no 
apparent remedy without a radical revision of the rules governing sizes. 

To remove all possibility of kilHng branded seals in the fall on which the brands 
have become indistinct it will be necessary to prohibit the slaughter of any animal 
the skin of which weighs over 6 pounds. This will confine the killing to animals 
with skins weighing not less than 5^ nor more than 6 pounds. Such a rule is hardly 
practicable. 

In my opinion, however, a relaxation of the minimum rule as regards weights of 
skins should be permitted at food killings on St. George. Out of 197 small dismissed 
October 19 only 21, so far as I could judge, were yearlings. The natives had had nO' 
fresh meat since July 30, and I think that in justice to them they should have been 
permitted to have killed some of the 176 small 2-year-olds turned off, even if the skins 
fell somewhat below b\ pounds. None of the meat secured on this island in the fall 
is wasted; every pound of it is carefully saved. A sharp lookout is kept for all avail- 
able seals in the vicinity of the village, and in addition the natives make trips to 
Zapadni, kill what seals are found, and carry the meat on their backs to the village, 
a distance of over 5 miles. 

Presuming that branding of bachelors is to continue, a rule fixing a maximum 
weight of 7 pounds for food skins taken in the fall would save the 3-year-olds, which I 
take to be the all-important ol)ject. 

The number of seals to be killed by the natives of St. George for food should not 
be less than 500 per annum, though it is doubtful if such number with men'hantable 
pelts could be secured. The number determined on last year for food for the natives 
of this island, viz, 300, is inadequate and insufiicient. 

I do not object to limiting the total killing on the island, but simply wish to 
enlarge the number that may be killed in the fall for autumn and winter use. 

The natives should be given all the latitude possible for securing a liberal supply 
of meat, the company taking such number of skins the following sunnner as will 
complete its quota if it can be done. Fifty-three skins were taken November 3 and 
25 November 4. These animals were culled out by the natives from among the cows 
and pups on the rookeries. Branded bachelors were not observed on either occasion 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



87 



nor at any time thereafter. Small pods of seals were taken at intervals nntil Novem- 
ber 23, when 10 were secured at Staraya Artel. 

The total fall killing was 235, which comprises all seal meat the natives have had 
since last July. Fof weights of skins as taken at the different killings see Exhibit A. 

On May 16, after these skins had laid in salt all winter and were therefore in about 
the condition they will reach market, I reweighed them on a scoop scale and also 
measured them, with the following results: 



Skins. 


Weight. 


Length. 


Breadth. 


Circum- 
ference. 




Lbs. oz. 


Inches. 


Inches. 


Inches. 


4.... 


4 14 


dU 


24i 


964 


3.... 


4 15 


.33 


24i 


98 


2.... 


5 


37i 


25 


107 


1.... 


5 1 


34 


25 


103 


1.... 


5 3 


33 


25 


98 


4.... 


5 4 


m 


25 


104i 


4.... 


5 5 


35i 


26J 


105* 


5.... 


5 6 


32| 


254 


100 


5.... 


5 7 


35| 


261 


105 


8.... 


5 8 


351 


25j 


1021 


10.... 


5 9 


34 


26,^ 


101^ 


5.... 


5 10 


35§ 


25" 


105 


3.... 


5 11 


Mi 


26| 


103i 


12.... 


5 12 


34t% 


26t% 


IO4J5 


5.... 


5 14 


36i 


254 


105 


4.... 


5 15 


38 


25i 


1081 


5.... 


5 13 


37 


25| 


107 


15.... 


6 


35i's 


26t\ 


Wh% 


3.... 


6 1 


36i 


27i 


107 


9.... 


6 2 


35J 


26| 


1041 


6.... 


6 3 


35i 


26i 


1061 


8.... 


6 4 


35J 


251 


I04i 


6.... 


6 5 


36i 


28| 


109i 


4.... 


6 7 


35f 




105 


7.... 


8 


36 


263 


104^ 


3-... 


6 9 


37i 


26| 


109| 


3.... 


6 10 


351 


27J 


107 


5.... 


6 11 


35 


26^ 


105 


12.... 


6 12 


■d6f^ 


28i% 


109 


2 


6 13 


36 


28 


108 


S.'.'.'. 


6 14 


39i 


271 


112J 


3.... 


6 15 


35| 


29i 


llOi 


9.... 


7 


36§ 


288 


109i 


1.... 


7 1 


35 


25 


105 


7.... 


7 2 


37^ 


24f 


108^ 


1.... 


7 3 


38 


28 


106 


7 


7 4 


36f 


28f 


lllf 


4!!!.' 


7 5 


m 


28| 


112 J 


2.... 


7 7 


39 


27i 


llOi 


4.... 


7 8 


38 


27i 


112 


3.... 


7 9 


351 


29 


109 


1.... 


7 10 


38 


28 


114 


1.... 


7 11 


39 


27 


110 


4.... 


7 12 


39 


29 


113i 


5 


7 13 


37| 


27-1 


llOi 


1.... 


7 14 


39 


29 


112 


1.... 


7 15 


43 


31 


125 


1.... 


8 2 


38 


28 


113 


1.... 


8 7 


38 


27 


110 


1.... 


8 8 


42 


31 


126 


1.... 


9 


41 


31 


118 


6.... 


6 6 


361 


27i 


108 



The above includes one 5-pound skin taken from an animal found dead in August. 

In this work I was assisted by the natives. The skins were stretched on an impro- 
vised table, and in measuring for length a tapeline was run down the middle from 
the neck to base of tail, for breadth across both flipper holes, and for circumference 
the outer edge was taken. 

Considerable disparity is found between the different weights and corresponding 
circumferences showing that the heavier skin is not always the larger one, nor is it 
necessarily taken from an older animal. In fact, it appears that the weights of skins 
as taken on the island only approximate the ages of the animals slaughtered, as it is 
quite possible for the skins of different animals of the same age to vary greatly in 
weight, depending on the amount of blubber adhering to the pelt. 

The company have a set of linen patterns which profess to represent the average 
size of the different skins sold in London for four years, ending with 1895, giving 



88 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIKS. 



weights and trade naiiies. Doctor Mills and I ironed thewe patterns, and measured 
them in the same way the skins were measured, with the following results: 



Trade names. 



Middlings 

Middlings and small 

Smalls 

Large pups 

Middling pups 

Small pups 

Extra small pups 



Weights. 


Length. 


Breadth. 


Lbs. Oz. 


Inches. 


Inches. 


14 


61 


34 


11 


46i 


32i 


9 4 


40 


29i 


7 14 


39 


26J 


7 


36 


26 


1 () 


34 


24 


4 12 


30i 


22J 



Circum- 
ference. 



Inches. 
134 

127 

lie. 

108 
104 
95 
87 



Bj' comparing the above measurements with that shown in the tables on pages 4 
and 5 it will be seen that in trade nomenclature none of the class which would be desig- 
nated extra small pups were killed last fall, neither were any so-called middlings, 
and only two that would go into the class middlings and smalls. More of the latter 
designation would have been secured had the killing of large animals not been cur- 
tailed, as explained on page 2. 

^^While the facilities at the salt house for measuring the skins were meager, the gen- 
eral correctness of the results obtained is verified by the table shown on page 5 and 
also by a similar table prepared by Lampson & Co. in 1892, to be found in volume 8, 
page 917, Fur-Seal Arbitration. 

In assorting fur seals for size the above firm is guided mainly l^v the measurement. 
(Ibid., 916.) 

The total weight of the skins as taken last autumn was 1,531 pounds, that in May 
1,488, showing an apparent loss of 43 pounds while in salt. The scales used in the 
fall were small spring balances registering nothing less than a quarter pound. In tak- 
ing the M'eights and measurements in May I wanted to be as correct as possible, and to 
that end borrowed the store scales, which registered ounces. 

These scales, however, had been here a long time and, besides needing constant 
attention to keep them balanced, were not very sensitive. Much of the apparent dif- 
ference in weight is therefore in reality a difference in scales. 

Early in December the rookeries were deserted, but considerable numbers of seals 
could be seen in the adjacent water until Christmas. Occasionally during the win- 
ter the natives reported having seen a seal in the ocean. 

The earliest bulls this season arrived — one on North and another on Zapadni— May 
2. One arrived on East May 3, one on Little East May 6, and one on Staraya Artel 
May 7. 

Two bachelors, the first of the season, hauled on East Rookery May 14. 

The rookery population June 3 was as follows: 





Bulls. 


Quitters. 


Bachelors. 




Bulls. 


Quitters. 


Bachelors. 


North 


73 
35 
12 


6 
3 

1 


20 
30 


Little East 

Stajaya Artel 


14 
29 
33 






East 


4 

4 


10 


East Reef 













At the corresponding date of 1904 North Rookery had 100 bulls and East Reef 20. 
The diminution on the other rookeries is less marked. 



The regular fee<ling of foxes began September 15, the food consisting of 1 dozen 
salmon which had been soaking several days and carried considerable water. Two 
days later a large tubful of salmon was fed, such tubs being afterwards found to hold 
about 80 pounds. Later in September this amount was doubled, so that the total for 
the month was 15 tubs. 

October 1 the remains of a right whale came ashore, which furnished the foxes 
with such a supply of food as to render feeding unnecessary during that month. The 
offal of seals killed during this interval was also eaten by the foxes. November 2 
the feeding of soaked salmon was renewed, the amount fed being gradually increased 
until 4 tubs were fed daily. Beginning with November 20 seal meat was also fed, 
the total for the month comprising 48 tubs of salmon and 57 seal carcasses. During 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 89 

December 366 seal carcasses and 21 tubs of salmon were thrown out for and eaten by 
the foxes, the carcasses varying in number l^etween 10 and 25 daily. In January 
the weather became yiilder, so that 41 tubs of salmon and 115 carcasses were sufficient 
for that month, while during Fel)ruary 57 tubs and 53 carcasses were fed. The feeding 
in March consisted of 114 tubs, that of April 82 tubs, that of May 26 tubs and 1 barrel 
salt beef. May 15, the last day on which the feeding was contemplated, 7 tubs of 
salmon, all that was in soak, were thrown out. This was eaten within the next five 
days. Beginning with February 4 a supply of whale blubber was continually at the 
feeding place as an au:N'iliary to the salmon. Altogether 7.216 pounds of whale blub- 
ber were set out for and eaten by the foxes before the middle of May, excepting, per- 
haps, 200 pounds of tough, fibrous matter which carried little or no oil, and was finally 
burned. Tlie seal meat preserved at Zapadni last summer, amounting to about 50 
carcasses, was thrown out March 16. This was also eaten. As will be seen from the 
foregoing the foxes have been bountifully fed during the entire winter, the feeding 
being so arranged that with rare exceptions a surplus of food was left over every 
morning. 
The total amount which we know to have been eaten bj^ the foxes may be stated 

as follows: 

Pounds. 

404 tubs of salmon (approximating 80 pounds each ) 32, 320 

486 seal carcasses 12, 797 

155 seal carcasses (approximating 26 pounds each ) 4, 030 

Offal of 235 seals (approximating 1 1 pounds each ) 2, 585 

Whale blubber, 74 pieces 7, 013 

Salt beef, 1 barrel 194 

One-half barrel codfish and one-half barrel beef tongues. 

Total 58, 939 



Trapping was begun by the company agent November 20 and continued vigorously 
until February 3, two large traps being constantly in use. During this interval foxes 
were trapped 31 times at fox house and 25 times at stable. In addition to this there 
were 9 failures at stable and 7 at fox house. Three men were sent to Zapadni, who 
remained there four days, trapping every night. The trappings and attempts thereat 
were therefore as follows: At fox house, 38 times; at stable, 34 times; at Zapadni, 3 
times. 

This was not only the most extensive trapping ever carried on here., but the number 
of hours actually spent in the work greatly exceeded all previous records. On two 
occasions we remained up all night and on several others until after midnight. 

Doors that worked from below the surface of the ground were arranged and found 
to M-ork satisfactorily. They are a decided improvement upon drop doors. Catching 
sticks were finally abandoned and thrown away. Instead of using the scissors to open 
the foxes' mouths for dental examination, a soft gag was made upon Avhich it was 
impossible for the animals to injure their teeth. Masks were made for the use of 
the man in the trapping room to prevent their being bitten in the face as has occa- 
sionally occurred. 

Despite all efforts a few foxes were at large at the close of the season that had 
escaped the traps. This, however, always occurs. The total catch was 766, that of 
last year 1,061, showing a diminution, during the interval, of 29 per cent. 

Of the catch, 244 males and 250 females were branded and 272, inchnling 10 white, 
killed, 87 of which were females. ( For the catch in detail see Exhibit B. ) 

The males branded and dismissed for the purpose of i^ropagation were prime in 
every respect. This is also true of about 80 per cent of the females left as breeders. 
I regretted leaving any animals not strictly first class as breeders, but there was no 
alternative without reducing the breeding quota, which was already low enough. 

The females left as breeders which are not considered first-class, i. e., about 20 per 
cent, are only slightly inferior and by no means poor animals. 

Since theclo:^e of the fox season only four deaths were noted. One of these was 
due to uremic poisoning, another to a hemorrhage of the kidney, another to tubercu- 
losis. In the fourth case the cause of death could not be determined, as the body, 
when found, was too badly decomposed. To my knowledge the only death among 
foxes known to have occurred from tuberculosis is that found by Doctor Mills and 
myself May 28, above noted. 

The animal was a female, 3 years old, carrying one brand. She was void of fat 
and weighed not more than 4 pounds. The loss in flesh occurred since the time of 



90 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

trapping. Tubercular iKxlules were found in both lungs, so that the case was well 
defined. Remaining organs apparently healthy. This disease may, of course, cause 
many deaths among the foxes. 

On the whole i feel ojttimihitic, and believe that the fox catch next season will 
show a decided increase over that of last winter. Tlie animals have, as shown, been 
abundantly fed. There has Ijeen no drift ice during the winter, while the weather 
has been exceptionally mild, so that the most delicate animal should live until next 
season, unless attacketl by disease. 

In tlie exercise of the discretion vested in him, the company's agent rejected 4 
blue skins as defective and undesirable. The division, as shown in Iilxhiliit C, was 
therefore based on 258 blue and 10 white fox skins, which, at current prices, aggre- 
gated §1,300. Last year's division amounted to $2,370, being based on a catch of 
471 blue and 15 white. 

The difference in earnings will be felt by the natives. The company's agent says 
the skins secured are a poor lot. 

This is true enough, and under the circumstances could not be otherwise. The 
large shrinkage in the herd made it incumbent on me to examine every fox caught, 
and as the welfare of the herd demands that only the best be left for breeding pur- 
poses the company of course got only the residue. With the exception of 16 males 
and 9 females killed early in the season through a misapprehension on my part and 
few other medium-size males later on, the skins taken were those of either small or 
inferior beasts slaughtered, because they were so. 

While foxes were scarcer in the vicinity of the village last fall than ever before in 
my experience, I had no idea there would be a diminution, and therefore when trap- 
ping began I determined to brand no male that in my judgment weighed less than 
11 pounds, or any female weighing less than 10 pounds. 

As time wore on, however, it became evident that the standard set would have to 
be lowered or the breeding quota, while superior beasts, would not be sufficiently 
numerous. 

The weights then determined on were 10 pounds for males and 8 pounds for 
females, and later on some females weighing as little as 7* pounds were branded. 

In the early part of the season the matter of weights was wholly conjectural, but 
December 17 I tried an experiment of taking the live weights of the foxes caught, 
and found that it could be done in a comparatively easy manner. 

The fox while in the hand of the native was subjected to the usual dental exami- 
nation. A piece of soft leather, 2 inches wide, was then looped around the tail, one 
end of the leather being hooked to a scale suspended from the ceiling, when the 
weight was quickly ascertained and entered. 

If it was determined to leave the animal as a breeder it was branded and liberated; 
otherwise, it was dispatched in the usual manner. When a branded animal was 
caught more than once it received an additional brand each time, but was not 
teweighed. While the trapping was more extensive than that of two years ago, 
there was less rebranding. (Compare Exhibit B with exhibit of mv report Julv 10, 
1903. ) 

This was due to the fact that separate rooms were j>rovided at the barn and fox 
house in which the foxes, as caught, were confined until my arrival in order that all 
foxes caught should pass under my inspection. There being no such rooms two 
years ago, I was obliged to confine my attention to the fox house, trusting to the 
natives the work at the village; while the foxes caught at both places were branded 
and dismissed at once, many of them evidently to return forthwith and be immedi- 
ately recaptured. My plan was to visit both places every two hours while foxing 
was on, so that the confinement should in no case exceed that length of time. It 
was -generally shorter. 

There is nothing cruel in the weighing nor did the full two-hour confinement 
seem to distress them. The presence of a lantern in the room with the foxes caused 
them, with very few exceptions, to lie perfectly quiet until the time for handling 
arrived, when they showed plenty of spirit. 

Both the age and live weight of every animal caught on and after December 16- 
were noted in the manner indicated and recorded in a book which I opened. 

The system of feeding and trapping foxes now in vogue has been in operation con- 
tinuously since 1897. All data concerning the number of foxes that have been 
killed or dismissed for breeding purposes since that time is scattered through the 
different official journals kept in this office, which makes the looking up of those 
matters a cumbrous and difficult proceeding. The aforesaid book is designed to- 
remedy that defect by providing a permanent and concise record of the essential 
points in the fox business, and it should, in my judgment, be continued by succeed- 
ing agents in this office. It comprises a full statement of foxes caught and killed 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



91 



or dismissed as breeders, together with a record of the approximate ages and weights 
in each class, the respective data being carefully segregated. 

The actual live wights of all males branded and dismissed as breeders since 
December 14 were as follows: 





Weight 1 




Weight 




Weight 


1 


Weight 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


in 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 


13 


10 


11 


11» 


12 


131 


2 


16 


5 


lOi 


21 


12 i 


1 


13? 


1 


m 


9 


lOi 


3 


12i 


7 


14 


1 


m 


13- 


10* 


15 


12i 


3 


14i 


1 


20 


28 


11 


13 


12f 




m 








6 


Hi 


14 


13 


1 


15 


198 




11 


Hi 


5 


13i 


1 


m 







Live weights of females branded and dismissed as breeders subsequent to December 
14 were as follows: 





Weight 




Weight 




Weight 




Weight 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


m 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


m 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 


9 


7i 


6 


10* 


18 


9 


1 


14i 


9 


"ii 


13 


11 


6 


9j 


1 


14i 


16 


8 


3 


llf 


22 


9i 


2 


15 


14 


8i 


8 


12 


11 


9* 


1 


i5i 


24 


8i 


1 


12i 


19 


10 


3 


lU 


15 


8* 


1 


12* 


13 


lOi • 


4 


lU 


2 


lOi 


2 


13 


1 


13i 






225 





Autopsies were held on all foxes killed either at the stable or fox house during the 
entire season at which the weights of the dead animals were taken. From the 
data thus, obtained compared with the live weights of particular animals I was able 
to estimate with considerable accuracy the weights of the animals killed prior to 
December 14. Such estimate, together with the actual weights obtained of the males 
that were killed after that date, will be found in the following table: 





Weight 




Weight 




Weight 




Weight 


Foxes. 


m 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


in 


Foxes. 


m 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 




pounds. 


2 


6 


5 


9i 


1 


Hi 


4 


16 


5 


7 


20 


9i 


3 


11* 


1 


16i 


2 


7j 


3 


9* 


1 


Hi 


1 


18 


5 


7i 


19 


10 


3 


12 


1 


18i 


2 


7* 


8 


lOi 


2 


12i 


2 


19i 


6 

4 


8 
8i 


8 
25 


lOi 
9 


1 
1 


13 
13i 






180 




16 


8i 


5 


10* 


4 


14 






12 


8* 


6 


11 


2 


14* 







The actual weights of females killed after December 14, with the estimated weights 
of those killed prior to that date, were as follows: 



Num- 
ber of 
foxes. 


" Weight 

in 
pounds. 


Num- 
ber of 
foxes. 


Weight 

in 
pound.s. 


Num- 
ber of 
foxes. 


Weight 

in 
pounds. 


Num- 
ber of 
foxes. 


Weight 

in 
pounds. 


1 
9 
4 
9 
3 
14 


5* 

6 

6i 

6i 

6* 

7 


3 

6 
6 
2 
8 
4 


7i 

8 

8i 

8i 

9 


6 
1 


9i 
10 


1 
1 


12i 
13i 


3 11 


86 




2 
2 


Hi 

12 





92 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Prior to turning the skins over to the company all were mt-asured, witli the follow- 
ing results in inches: 



180 blue males. 
5 white nmles. . 
80 blue leiuales 
5 white females 




Average 
breadth. 



Average 

length of 

tail. 



US 

m 



16j^ 
14i 



Two years ago I measured the skins of 33 male.s and 54 females, the average of 
same being somewhat larger than those herewith presented. (See my report for 
1903. ) 

Along toward the end of the season the skins of 11 foxes, of which the age and live 
weights were known, were marked so that they could be identified when dried. The 
following table gives the age and Weight of those 11, with corresponding measurement: 



Males. 




Females. 


1 year old. 


2 years old. 


Over 3 years old. 


1 year old. 


1 


be 
C 

0) 




J3 
_hJ3 
'3 


53 


« 


5 

"53 


G 
1-3 


PQ 




so 

S 
►J 


.5 

■S 

i 
« 

10 
11 


8i 
9 

7J 


28 
29 
30 
26 


11 

12 
10 
11 


8 ' 
9i 
H 
11 


31 
31 

29 
30 


12 
12 
10 
11 


12 


31 


13 


6i 


28 
30 

































None of these animals was very old. The largest skin was taken from the heaviest 
animal. Among the yearlings and 2-year-olds the latter generally produced the 
larger pelt. An 8-pound 2-year-old had a larger skin tlian one of equal age weighing 

11 pounds. The data are, of course, insufficient in quantity for the basing of any gen- 
eral conclusions as to the relations existing between the live weight of the beast and 
the size of its skin. Apparently the one is not dependent upon the other. Nor does 
the largest animal produce the best fur. The company agent assured me that the 
two skins taken at Zapadni were the best of the catch. Those skins weighed, accord- 
ing to the natives that killed them, 9 and 9^ pounds, and measured when dried 30 by 

12 and 29 by 11 inches, respectively. 

On the other hand, there can be little doubt that the larger and heavier animals, 
being well protected with blubber, are better fitted to survive in severe weather than 
those found to be poor and thin. The latter, therefore, should be killed off and 
nothing but the choice animals left as breeders. 



FOX CENSUS. 



The ages of the different foxes handled were determined bj^ an examination of 
their teeth. No claim of absolute accuracy is made, but the ages given approximate, 
in my opinion, as near the animals' true age as it is possible to give. 

They w^ere as follows: 





Young or 
approxi- 
mately 1 
year. 


Middle aged or approx- 
imately— 


Old, over 
3 years. 


Not exam- 
ined. 




2 years. 


3 years. 




Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. Z%_ 


Male.JaTe. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Killed 


89 


68 
101 


68 
112 


15 
110 


19 1 
49 32 


9 3 
...... 5 






Branded 

Total 


80 


3 


2 


169 


169 


180 


125 


68 33 


9 8 


3 


2 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHEEIES. 93 

From this census it appears that of tlie yearlings 169 of eat'li sex, or 838 altogether, 
went through the traps. The mothers of these 338, which comprise all females above 
the age of 1 year, numbered 166. This would make an average j>er litter of 2 plus. 
The season's trapping indicates that the sexes are about equally divided at birth. 

In my fox census, taken two years ago in the same manner that this has been taken, 
322 were fomid that were more than 1 year old. (See my report, July 10, 1903.) 

The yearlings caught during that season numbered 318, 133 males and 185 females, 
plus a number of runts estimated at 65 (Ibid. p. 9), which were dismissed without 
branding. To these nnist be added a great number known to have died of starvation 
and eating of salt meat (Ibid. pp. 1 to 6), so that neither the proportion of sexes or 
yield per mother for that year can be determined with any degree of accuracy. 

So far as I am aware no census was made last year, but as 250 pairs of foxes were 
turned off in 1903 and the catch in 1904 was 1,061, the yield was 561 or, approxi- 
mately, 24 per female. Divided as to sex the catch for 1904 was 517 males and 544 
females. In these calculations 1 assume that foxes escaping the traps offset the nat- 
ural mortality among those branded. 

As will be observed in looking over the above census only 9 males and 8 females 
were caught that would be considered old. In the census taken two years ago this 
class numbered 16 males and 92 females. The presence of such a large proportion 
of old females in the catch of two years ago is due to the fact that during the preced- 
ing six years females were imnnme from slaughter while the scarcity of such animals 
last season indicates that the old have been effectively killed off. 

STOMACHS AND INTESTINES. 

The contents of stomachs and intestines as developed on post-mortem examination 
revealed nothing of especial interest beyond that discovered two 'years ago and 
reported at that time. Fox fur was found in the intestines of three early in the sea- 
son, but at no other time, which is very good evidence that the foxes were furnished 
sufficient food, or at least that the living were not devouring the dead, if there were 
any dead. Evidence of the animals living on the beach was found in 22 instances, 
the amount being small in every case. 

There was, owing to the mildness of the winter, but little heavy surf, and in con- 
sequence, perhaps, less marine food was thrown on the beach than usual. Whale 
blubber was found in 18 stomachs, but whether it was picked up on the beach or 
around the natives' houses it is impossible to say. 

Intestinal worms were quite numerous, being found in 76 cases. They were simi- 
lar to those found two years ago and delivered to you at that time, with the excep- 
tion that one of the tapeworms was much larger than any heretofore discovered, 
measuring 12 inches in length. This worm was preserved, and is at your disposal 

DECREASE IN FOX LIFE. 

As already indicated, the total catch was 766; that of the preceding season, 1,061, 
which shows a diminution of 29 per cent during the interval. This decrease is a 
serious blow to the fox business. It affects both the number and quality of the skins 
secured by the company, while the loss to the natives in earnings compared With the 
preceding year is over $1,000. 

During the season 1903-4 285 males and 287 females were dismissed as breeders, 
together with 18 which were considered too small for branding. According to the 
present census, 257 of those males and 166 females were caught which, being more 
than 1 year old, are presumed to represent the breeding quota dismissed the prior 
year. The loss among the breeders during the interval, according to the trapping, 
which is the only safe guide, is 28 males and 121 females.- That it was a real loss, 
and that the animals in question are no longer on the island, no one disputes. Neither 
dying nor dead foxes were observed by anyone on the island, native or white. It fol- 
lows, of course, that unlike the season of 1902-3, an epidemic among the beasts is 
neither charged nor suspected. What, then, became of them? There was some ice 
in the sea which may have caused loss, but whatever such loss was must have been 
equally divided between the sexes, or nearly so. 

M}^ opinion is that, in addition to the loss caused by the ice, whatever that 
amounted to, the foxes disappearing have perished through the inclemency of the 
weather or lack of sufficient food, and that the dead were soon after devoured by 
their surviving brethren. That the females should succumb under adverse conditions 
in greater numbers than the males seems consonant with fox life if we are to believe 
that the sexes are equal at birth. During the season of 1895-96, when the steel traps 



94 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

only were used, the catch was 151 males and 120 females, and the succeeding season 
the catch was 193 males and I'.V.i females. (See ofiice journal, pp. 50 and 144.) 

Under the present S3'stem of trapping, which began in 1S97, the females did not 
equal in number the males caught until the third season, regardless of the fact that 
during the interval the females were immune from slaughter while two-thirds of the 
males caught were dispatched. These facts may not ])njve the pro])Ositi(m that the 
females are less robust or less lit to survive than the males, but it is certainly evidence 
in that direction. Just what class of females are the first to perish is difficult to say, 
but my firm opinion is that it comprises the small, poorly nourished ones. 

FUTURE PRECAUTION. 

The innovation adopted in 1902, of pairing animals — i. e., of branding and setting 
at liberty for l)reeding purposes an ecjual number of males and females — has not 
resulted satisfactorily. It was, I presume, thought that such pairing would put the 
business upon a more substantial footing, and at the same time permit the slaughter of 
the females that had accumulated while they were immune from killing during the 
preceding six years, when males only were killed. The trapping of 1903-4 (1,061 as 
compared with 1,011 the preceding year) tended to confirm the wisdom of the exper- 
iment; but last season's experience shows conclusively, to my mind at least, that the 
slaughter of any healthy female, except for cause, is neither wise nor economic. 
Unquestionably, fox life on this island was at a lower ebb last autumn thad at any 
other corresponding time during the past eight years. The abstract c[uestion as to 
whether or not the animals are polygamous remains undecided. 

Evidence as to the sexual habits of the foxes is scanty, but what there is tends 
toward jjolygamy. (See my reports for 1900 and 1903.) 

I have therefore the honor to reconnnend that in future the proportion of males 
to females to be left for breeding purposes shall be either one to two or one to three, 
as shall be thought best, and no male weighing less than 10 pounds or females weigh- 
ing less than Ih pounds shall be left as breeders. 

When one thinks what has been effected in recent times by careful and methodical 
selection, as shown by the different exhibitions of improved quadrupeds and fancy 
birds, there is every reason to expect an improvement in the size and fur of the blue 
fox by working along parallel lines. Domestic animals, almost without exception, 
have undergone improvement in recent years. " By the supply of abundant and 
nutritious food * * * and by the continuous selection of the heaviest individuals 
the weight of the larger breeds (rabbits) has been more than doubled." (Animals 
and Plants under Domestication, Darwin, vol. 1, p. 161.) 

While the blue fox of St. George Island is not a fully domesticated animal, there 
can be little doubt that as time goes on the race may be improved and its chance of 
surviving adverse climatic or other conditions augmented by raising the standard 
weights of those left as breeders. The trapping is now so arranged that the Depart- 
ment's agent can with little effort inspect every animal coming into the trap. I would 
therefore suggest that it be made the specific duty of said agent to personally select 
the breeding animals. This work, second only to the steady, continuous, and abun- 
dant feeding of nutritious food, is of great importance, and for obvious reasons should 
under no circumstances be intrusted to the company agents or employees. 

SEA LIONS. 

Two sea lions were killed during the winter by the natives and 3 more in May. 

The animals killed were mature males, the skins of which were saved for bidarras, 
while the meat formed a welcome addition to the natives' larders. On May 28 I 
counted 17 bulls, 30 cowf?, and 4 pups on Sea Lion rookery. 



School for the native children was in session under a very competent instructor 
from September 1 to April 28 with the exception of the Christmas, national, and 
church holidays. The total of such holidays was 18, or nearly the equivalent of one 
school month. I have no objection to the holidays, but see no reason that the time 
lost should not be made good. The school year, eight months— in reality only seven — 
is, in my opinion, too short. While attending school the children receive more care 
and attention from their parents than they ever do during vacation. I would there- 
fore request that a definite rule be adopted requiring that all time lost on account of 
holidays of whatever class be made up, either in advance or at the close of the reg- 
ular school term, whichever may be most convenient for those concerned. Exhibit 
D is the report of the teacher, Mr. Edson. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



95 



IMPROVEMENTS. 

Since my arrival tke natives have built a nice picket fence around the (Tovernment 
house, besides constructing a large clubroom for themselves, and a house at East 
Landing for the Government boat. They also built a boat to be used by the com- 
munity for hunting and fishing at Garden Cove. 

Both the boat and club houses are called "barabarras," being built the former 
entirely and the latter partially of driftwood, surrounded and covered with turf. 
Still they are very comfortable buildings, being well drained, light, and airy, ^luch 
of the driftwood used involved considerable labor in hewing and whipsawing, but 
the results more than justified it. The homemade biUiard table, brought from St. 
Paul, was in constant use at the clubhouse and afforded the natives an unusual amount 
of amusement. The general conduct and behavior of the natives were extraordi- 
narily good the entire winter. 



As noted on page 8, the remains of a right whale came ashore October 1. It car- 
ried no baleen, the latter having probably been taken out by the whalers who killed 
the beast. The blubber of this animal is considered very palatable by the natives, 
who took advantage of its arrival to salt from two to four barrels per family, enough 
for three years, they said, l)esides great quantities which were hung up outside of 
their houses. They had no use for the meat, of which there was an enormous 
amount. After the people were supplied, I had the men save 15 barrels of the blub- 
ber, which was tried out later, but yielded only 80 gallons of oil. The latter is very 
nice and I trust can be disposed of to advantage for the benefit of the native library 
about to be started. 

In my mail of October 17, 1 received a draft for $120 for theskeletons of two whales 
found by me near East rookery in June, 1904, and forwarded to the Smithsonian 
Institute. This money was divided among the natives, as was also $22 received by 
me in Seattle for 10 fox skins rejected by the company as worthless two years ago. 

Respectfully submitted. 

James Judge, 
Assistant Agent, Departtnent of Commerce and Labor. 

Mr. W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent in charge Seal Fisheries. 

Exhibits. 



Exhibit A. Weights of sealskins, autumn 1904. 
Exhibit B. Foxes caught, season 1904-5. 
Exhibit C. Fox division, 1905. 
Exhibit D. Report of school-teacher, 1905. 



Exhibit A. — Weights of sealskins taken during autumn of 1904. 



Date. 


RooRery. 


Weight (pounds). 


4J. 


5. 


5i. 


5i. 


5*. 


6. 


6i. 


6i. 


6*. 


Oct. 19 


North and South Ardiguen 








2 

2 


1 
1 
1 
5 
6 
3 


2 
1 
3 
11 

6 


4 

7 


3 
2 
6 
7 
2 


7 


22 

24 

Kov. 3 

4 

5 

9 

14 

15 

18 

22 

23 


Zapadni 








1 


East 








6 


North and South Ardiguen 

East 


1 


3 


1 
2 


10 


2 
4 








2 


North and South Ardiguen 










1 


3 


1 




East 








1 






North and South Ardiguen 










2 


3 


3 




Zapadni 




1 
3 
2 


""2 


5 








6 
1 


1 

1 


1 


2 


2 


Starava Artel 




1 


Total 










1 


9 


5 


21 


24 


28 


21 


26 


25 







96 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Exhibit A. — Weightfi of sealskins taken durimj autumn of li)04 — Continued. 



Date. 


Rookery. 


'' 




Weight (pounds). 


- 


\ 7. 


7i. 


74. 


7*. 


8. 


8i. 


8i. 


8». 




Oct. 19 

22 


North and South Ardiguen 


...j 9 


9 
I 
2 
2 
1 
1 


6 
1 

1 
1 
3 


4 
...... 

1 


7 
2 
2 


1 


2 


1 




24 


East 

North and South Ardiguen 


5 
2 
1 










Nov 3 








' 


4 










.f 




Zapadni 


•■•! 1 














9 


j 












14 


East 




2 


1 


1 ! 2 












15 












18 


Zapadni 

North . 


1 
















22 














23 








1 




Total 
















. . . 21 

1 


17 


13 , 8 


11 


1 


N ■ 


1 



Exhibit B. — Annual statement of foxes caught on St. George Island, and either killed or 
dismissed as breeders during season of 1904-5. 





Location of traps. 


Killed. 


Branded. 


Rebranded. 


Date. 


Blue. 


White. 


Blue. 


2 brands. 


^3 brands. 




Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


M^l«-|m^ate. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


1904. 
Oct 




5 
















Nov 9 




1 

4 
12 
3 
2 

i 

7 
1 
9 
4 

\ 
2 














21 




5 
21 

6 






3j 2 










21 






1 










22 




2 


1 










27 


do 














Dec 8 


do . . 


1 
5 



















11 


do 




2 


5 
2 
25 
2 
4 
2 
1 


5 
...... 

1 
5 
2 
3 










11 


1 
3 








12 




7 
1 

2 






2 






12 


Village 










13 








3 

1 


1 




1 


13 











14 


Fox house 


2 






1 


1 




14 




1 







16 




1 
3 
3 






1 
3 
2 


1 

3 

....„ 

38 
10 
2 






1 


1 


16 


Village 








! ' 




18 










1 






18 












.: 


26 




34 
6 
1 
4 
1 
•> 
4 

20 
8 
6 
1 


10 '> 




33 

8 


5 

7 


6 
2 


1 

2 


1 


26 
28 


Village 


2 


1 




28 
28 


.....do 


3 




1 


8 
3 


6 
4 


9 
3 

5 

14 
8 

10 
2 


8 
4 

1 

cS 

11 

7 
10 
3 
3 


...... 


1 
1 


29 













1 
11 

2D 
10 
17 

I 




29 


Village 

Fox house 


3 

3 
2 

2 






5 

20 

14 

26 

3 


6 
8 
6 


f) 


1905. 
Jan. 2 




1 


1 


2 


Village 


2 


3 






6 


3 


Village 






2 


4 










2 












1 




15 


do 

do 

do 

Village 

do 

do 


2 
10 
3 

1 
1 

1 








2 
10 
7 
1 
1 
8 
4 
5 
6 
3 
8 
3 
3 
2 


1 
5 
2 
1 

""2 
4 

9 

1 

3 

...... 








16 


3 

2 






6 

1 


5 

4 

...... 

3 
2 
3 
2 
2 
8 
2 
3 
'2 

i 


1 

1 
1 


2 


17 








17 








19 












20 









7 
3 
5 
3 
3 


2 
3 
2 


3 


20 










22 


.....do 


2 


1 






5 


22 








23 


do 


1 








...... 

'"'i' 
1 
1 


1 


23 








8 
3 
4 
1 


1 


24 


Zapadni 


\ 

2 

1 








1 


24 


j 




3 


24 






... . 




25 


do 







5 ...... 


i 



« Drowned. 



6 Injured. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHEEIES. 



97 



Exhibit B. — Annual statement of foxes caught on St. George Island, and either killed or 
dismissed as breeders during season of 1904-5 — Continued. 







Killed. 


Branded. 


Rebranded. 


ite. 


Location of traps. 


Blue. 


White. 


Blue. 


2 brands. 


3 brands. 


^ni 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 

Male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


05. 
Ja^ 25 




2 








3 
1 


1 


2 


3 


2 

1 


1 


29 


do 










29 












1 






30 


East landing a. 




1 
















30 


Fox house 




1 




7 
4 
1 
2 


5 
6 
1 
1 
1 
8 
5 


4 
4 
2 
1 
1 
9 
5 


6 
5 


6 
3 


6 


30 




1 




4 


31 


do 








1 


31 




1 












2 


Feb. 2 
















3 


Fox house 










1 
3 


15 
5 


8 
4 


3 


3 


Village 










4 




Total 














180 


82 


5 


5 


244 


250 


135 


139 


68 


58 











Location of traps. 


Rebranded. 


Date. 


4 brands. 


5 brands. 


6 brands. 


7 brands. 




Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


Male. 


Fe- 
male. 


1904. 
Dec. 14 


Fox house :.. 




1 














16 


do 






1 










28 


do 


1 
1 




* 










28 


Village 
















29 


do 


1 

2 
2 
3 


1 












1906. 




3 

1 












2 
















3 




1 
1 


1 










3 




1 
1 










4 


Fox bouse and village 

Fox house 












16 






1 




1 






17 




1 










20 


do 


1 

1 
1 
2 












22 




2 












22 














23 




2 
1 
1 
3 












24 


do 














25 


















25 




1 
2 
2 


i' 


1 
1 










30 


do 








1 


30 




3 
1 










31 


do 














31 














1 






Feb. 3 


do 


i i 

1 1 2 


3 










3 






1 










Total 














24 1 22 


7 


5 


1 


2 




1 













a Found in spasms. 

Exhibit C. — Fox division, season 1904-5. 

St. George Island, June 1, 1905. 

By 258 blue fox skins, at $5 $1,290.00 

By 10 white fox skins, at $1 10.00 

Total 1,300.00 

To 13 first-class men, at $59. 10 768. 30 

To 6 second-class men, at $47.20 283. 20 

To 4 third-class men, at $35. 40 141. 60 

To 2 special class 60. 11 

Material Garden Cove boat 46. 79 

Total 1,300.00 

S. Doc. 98—05 7 



98 ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

FirM-cldss f<]iart'x. — Twenty-one men, at $59.10 each, aw follows: Corniel Gorokof, 
Steplian Lekanof, Denietri Lestenkof, Michael Lestenkof, Nicoli IMalavansky, George 
Merculif, Joseph Merculif, Nicoli Merculif, Andronic Philinumof, Gregory Phili- 
monof, Simeon PhiHinonof, Peter Prokopief, Rev. Peter Kashevarof. 

Second-class shares. — Six men, at $47.20 each, as follows: John Galanin, Nicoli 
Nederazof, Manuel Zaharof, Gregory Swetzof, Michael Shane, Walter Kashevarof. 
' Third-class shares. — Four men, at $35.40 each, as follows: ]\Iarka Merculif, Demetri 
Philimonof, Alexander Galanin, Peter Malavansky. 

Special chhss. — Two men, as follows: Stephan Lekanof, chief, $30.11; Joseph Mer- 
culif, second chief, $25; Joseph Merculif, hydrant keeper, $5. 

The division as above made is hereby approved on behalf of the natives of this 
island. 

Stephan Lekanof, Fir.9t Chief. 
Joseph Mekculief, Second Chief. 

I certify that the amounts indicated herein have been placed to the credit of the 
respective natives on the books of the North American Commercial Company. 

The North American Commercial Company, 
By J. A. Lake, Agent. 
I certify that the above division was made by me after conference with the native 
chiefs. 

James Judge, 
Agent, U. S. Department of Commerce and Labor. 



Exhibit D. — Report rjf .school-teacher. 

North American Commercial Company, 

St. George Island, Alaska, Ajyril 28, 1905. 

Sir: Please accept the following as school report for the year ending this day: 

School has been in session as usual for the eight months between Thursday, Sep- 
tember 1, 1904, and Friday, April 28, 1905, all children of the required age being in 
attendance. 

There has been very little absence during the j^ear, save the six weeks of one 
pupil caused by a broken bone. 

Three new pupils began the year, and there were none of age to leave school at the 
end. 

The progress of the school during the year just ended has been a satisfactory im- 
provement upon the two previous years, and in several cases remarkable interest 
has been taken in the work. 

Holidays have been observed as usual. 

I wish to express my thanks for the assistance kindly rendered by Mrs. Judge as 
musical instructor. 

Boys attending school 12^ 

Girls attending school 14 

Total 26 

Weeks in school year 35 

School days 172 

Holidays 3 

Holidays, Christmas recess 10 

Holidays, Russian church 5 

Total 18 

Number days school in session 154 

Absences excused by doctor days. . 41^ 

Absences excused by Government agent do. . . 85 

Absences unexcused do... 5 



Total 50 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



99 



Attendance for year, 26 times 154, minus SOi 3, 953^ 

Attendance, average daily 25 

Respectfully submitted. 

C. R. Edson, 
School Teacher, St. George Island. 
James Judge, 

Agent, Department Commerce and Labor, 

in charge of St. George Island. 



Appendix No. 2. 

Annual statement of fur seals killed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, during tlie ijear ended 

August, 1905. 





Rookery. 


Number of seals 

killed for natives' 

food. 


Number of seals killed by 
lessees for skins. 


Aggregates. 


Date. 


50 
C 

s . 

to m 
bo 

OS 


ii 

cS <P 
02 


i 


o p. 

< 


Rejected. 


3 

o 


ft 
I 

s 

3 


tu 

a 
<p 


^i 


"3 


og 
1^ 


as 

Ox 
H , 


1904. 
Oct. 13 


On hand in salthouse. 

Reef and Zoltoi 

Reef 








143 






143 


143 

165 
153 
42 
55 
98 
277 
69 

88 

203 

30 

364 

531 

14 

420 
488 
.534 
603 
972 
485 
559 
551 
504 
475 
755 
333 
475 
109 
514 
490 
547 
142 
549 
461 

220 

478 
76 

192 


...... 

6 
...... 

""e 
...... 

3 
6 

1 

""s 

3 

5 
5 
2 
7 
2 
5 
4 
2 

""'9' 
5 
6 

...... 

4 

1 



143 


20 


169 
169 
42 
56 
98 
283 
69 

88 
204 


165 
153 

42 
55 
98 
277 
69 

88 
203 


4 

6 






169 


26 










159 


Nov. 6 


Northeast Point 

Reef 










42 




1 










56 


16 


Northeast Point 

Reef and Tolstoi 

Southwest Bay 

Sea Lion Rock 

do 










98 


27 


6 










283 


Dec. 9 










69 


1905. 
May 13 












88 


June 3 


1 










204 


19 


Tolstoi 


30 
364 
531 






30 
367 
537 


30 


21 


Zapadni (branding 
drive) 








3 
6 




367 


23 


Northeast Point 
(branding drive) 








537 




Winter food skins, 

Northeast Point 

Reef 


14 


14 




14 


26 




420 
488 
534 
603 
972 
485 
559 
551 
504 
475 
755 
333 
475 
109 
514 
490 
547 
142 
549 
461 

220 

478 


2 
1 




422 
489 
534 
611 
975 
490 
564 
553 
511 
477 
760 
337 
477 
109 
523 
495 
553 
142 
555 
465 

221 

478 


422 


30 


Northeast Point 








489 


July 1 


Zapadni and Tolstoi. . 








634 


3 


Reef 








8 
3 
5 
5 
2 
a4 
2 
5 
4 
2 


"aZ 


611 


6 


Northeast Point 








975 


7 


Zapadni 








490 


8 


Reef 








564 


11 


Northeast Point 








553 


13 


Reef 








611 


14 


Zapadni 








477 


16 


N orth east Poi nt 








760 


17 


Reef and Gorbatch 








337 


19 


Zapadni 








477 


21 


Northeast Point 








109 


22 


Reef and Gorbatch . . . 








9 
2 
5 


a'z 


523 


24 


Zapadni 








495 


26 


Northeast Point 








553 


27 


Tolstoi 








142 


27 


Reef 








5 

4 

1 


al 


555 


28 


Zapadni and Little 
Zapadni 








465 












31 


Reef 


221 


31 


Northeast Point 








478 


Aug. 8 


NortheastPoint, watch 
food skins 


76 
192 


76 
192 








76 
















10 


Reef (food) 


192 




Total 

















1,450 


1,432 


18 


11,732 


78 


8 


11,818 


13,164 


104 


13, 268 









a Bitten. 



100 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Exhibit No. 3. 

Certificate of sealskins shipped, St. Paul, 1905. 

Div. Special Agents, \ 
Form 17. i 

Island of St. Paul, 
Bering Sea, Alaska, August IS, 1905. 
This is to certify that 1-3,000 fur-seal skins have this day been shipped on board the 
North American Commercial Company's steamer W. II. Kruger, consigned to the 
North American Commercial Company, San Francisco, Cal. 

W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent. 
M. Martin, 
Master, Steamer W. H. Kruger. 



Exhibit No. 4. 

Weights of sealskins taken during the sealing seaso)i ended August 10, 1905, on St. Paul 

Island. 



Date. 



Rookery. 



4i. 



4*. 



5i. 



6i. 



1904. 

Aug. 9 

Oct. 20 

27 

Nov. 6 

7 

16 

27 

Dec. 9 

1905. 

May 13 

June 3 
19 
21 
23 
26 
30 

July 1 

3 

6 

7 

8 

11 

13 

14 

16 

17 

19 

21 

22 

24 

26 

27 

27 

28 

31 

31 

Aug. 8 
10 



Reef and Gorbatch. 

Reef and Zoltoi 

Reef 

Northeast Point 

Reef 

Northeast Pomt 

Reef and Tolstoi 

Southwest Bav 



Sea Lion Roek 

do 

Tolstoi 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point 

Reef 

Northeast Point , 

Zapadni and Tolstoi 

Reef , 

Northeast Point 

Zapadni 

Reef 

Northeast Point 

Reef 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point 

Reef and Gorbatch 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point 

Reef and Gorbatch 

Zapadni 

Northeast Point 

Reef 

Tolstoi 

Zapadni and Little Zapadni. 

Reef 

Northeast Point 

Watch Northeast Point 

Reef (food) 



Total . 



139 



6 
1 
8 
2 
6 
9 
6 
4 
6 
10 
4 
5 

203 



14 

11 

13 

3 

9 

14 

16 

21 

10 

10 

12 

14 

6 

14 

311 



45 
65 
53 
41 
86 
61 

140 
61 
58 
75 
55 
85 

117 
77 
83 
12 
63 
66 
88 

113 
9 
48 
27 
57 
7 
14 



1,678 1,711 



46 
61 
42 
49 
61 
82 

134 
57 
75 
77 
36 
86 

130 
55 
65 
12 
81 
63 
87 

112 
13 
45 
29 



36 



18 
1 
49 
81 
54 
54 
84 
95 
130 
62 
84 
76 
67 
48 
93 
29 
73 
11 
70 
67 
78 
90 
12 
37 
33 
74 
11 
27 

1,712 



3 
11 

1 
30 
41 
31 
45 
40 
56 
105 
60 
61 
48 
42 
39 
70 
17 
66 
17 
79 
38 
69 
50 
22 
40 
30 
43 

4 
30 



1,271 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 
Weights of sealskins taken during the sealing season, etc. — Continued. 



101 



Date. 


Rookery. 


6i. 


6f. 


7. 


7i. 


7^. 


7*. 


8. 


8i. 


SI 


8i. 


1904. 
Aug. 9 
Oct 20 


Reef and Gorbatch 


16 
13 
19 
3 
8 
8 
33 
1 

10 
15 

3 
29 
44 
38 
50 
51 
79 
109 
58 
59 
85 
93 
56 
99 
39 
48 
15 
62 
47 
80 
32 

9 
78 
15 
42 

4 
14 


16 

18 

21 
4 
4 

10 

35 
5 

10 
11 

1 
23 
38 
27 
41 
44 
45 
79 
45 
49 
47 
38 
44 
84 
25 
34 

4 
34 
43 
27 
43 
20 
49 
26 
44 

1 
14 


17 
13 
14 
3 
7 
2 
28 
6 

9 
23 

5 

23 
54 
39 
45 
33 
45 
69 
29 
45 
84 
65 
24 
40 
20 
24 

2 
40 
61 
25 
20 
12 
37 
14 
37 

3 
11 


10 
15 
22 
4 
6 
2 
29 
3 

5 
10 

1 

19 
19 
11 
33 
18 
25 
45 
25 
26 
13 
33 
14 
25 

7 
13 
11 
11 
26 
16 
20 

7 
24 

8 
16 

4 

7 


10 
18 
13 
3 
6 
4 
11 
2 

6 
16 

1 
20 
21 
34 
30 
23 
19 
41 
13 
14 
81 
41 
13 
39 
12 
24 

9 
17 
19 
22 
14 

1 
33 

8 
12 

1 

8 


3 

8 
9 
1 
2 
2 
' 19 
1 

3 

9 

18 

11 

18 

15 

23 

20 

10 

15 

12 

12 

7 

20 

5 

4 

4 

9 

11 

13 

8 

5 

16 

4 

22 

2 

6 


4 

10 
6 
3 
1 
1 

11 


4 
10 
1 

2 
2 

1 
6 


5 
3 
3 


1 


Reef and Zoltoi 


6 


27 


Reef 


1 


Nov. 6 

7 






Reef 






16 


Northeast Point 


■■"4' 


2 


27 


Reef and Tolstoi 


3 


Dec. 9 

1905. 
May 13 








5 
15 
2 
10 
15 
13 
10 
13 
12 
16 
12 
10 
3 

12 
6 
10 
3 
9 
3 
6 
5 
3 
6 
2 
17 
7 
7 
1 
1 


4 
12 

'""9' 
18 

7 
9 
8 
5 

6 
5 
4 
7 
6 

t 

2 
2 
1 

4 
7 
3 
1 
6 
5 
1 
2 
1 


8 
8 
2 
3 
11 
6 
7 
8 
9 
5 
5 
8 
9 
4 
4 
4 
6 


1 


do 


6 


19 


Tolstoi 




21 




2 


23 




8 


26 


Reef 


5 


30 




4 


Julv 1 




7 


3 


Reef 


4 


g 




4 


7 




2 


8 


Reef 


1 


11 




4 


13 


Reef 


2 


14 






16 






17 












21 




2 
8 
3 
3 
2 
2 
8 


2 


22 




5 


24 




5 


26 




1 


27 


Reef 




27 


Tolstoi 


2 


28 


Zapadni and Little Zapadni. 
Reef 




31 




2 
1 
1 


4 


Aug. 8 
10 


Watch Northeast Point 

Reef (food) 


1 




Total 






1,465 


1,103 


968 


583 


609 


361 


270 


173 


152 


85 









Date. 


Rookery. 


9. 


9i. 


9i. 


9f. 


10. 


lOi. 


lOi. 


iOJ. 


11. 


Hi. 


m. 


1904. 




1 
3 
2 
1 






















Oct. 20 

27 




2 
1 




1 


'"'i' 


1 


2 
1 


3 


1 












Nov. 6 

7 




1 

2 

1 

"e 
3 
3 
7 
4 
1 
1 
1 












Reef 








1 










27 

1906. 
May 13 




4 


1 

1 
3 
2 
5 
6 
3 
3 
1 
2 
4 
1 


1 

1 
3 

"i' 
3 
1 

2 
2 
4 


2 
3 














1 
1 


2 
2 

1 
2 










do 


6 
1 
4 
7 
8 
7 
4 
5 
4 
2 
3 


2 
1 


2 






19 




1 




21 






23 




3 
3 
3 

1 
2 


2 


2 




1 




26 






30 




3 

'"'i' 


""2 


2 
1 


3 




1 


July 1 
3 


Zapadni and Tolstoi 

Reef 




1 






6 












7 




1 
2 
2 


1 
1 
1 


1 

2 















8 






1 








11 




1 






13 


Reef 


7 
1 
1 


2 








1 






14 




1 








j 






16 






j 














17 










i 














19 




1 
3 
4 


1 

1 
2 


















22 






















24 




2 
1 


1 










1 






26 
















27 


Reef 


1 


1 

1 


















27 






















28 


Zapadni and Little Zapadni. 
Total 


5 




























1 














91 


40 


41 


22 


27 1 8 


13 


13 


8 


2 


1 

















1U2 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Exhibit No. 5. 
Counts of rookenes, St. Paul Island, season of 1905. 



ARDIGUEN. 



AMPHITHEATRE. 



Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. Cows. 

i 


Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


1905. 
May 11 


1 
2 
5 
6 

7 
8 
8 
8 
8 






1905. 

June 25 i 10 

June2(). . ! m 


i' 

4' 

1 

1 


7 
7 
8 


''6 


May 16 








34 


May 25 








June 28 

July 1 


10 
9 
9 
9 
9 

12 


fifi 


June 2 


"* 






9 166 


June 7 








July 8 


9 •)!& 


June 10 








July 11 

July 13 

July 23 


9 
9 
11 


261 


June 12 










June 15 

June 19 




1 
4 


1 
7 


206 



1905 
May 10... 
May 19... 
May 23... 
Mav27... 
May 29... 
June 1 . . . 
June 4 . . . 
June 5... 
June 7 ... 
June 9 ... 
June 11 .. 
June 14 . . 
June 16 . . 
June 22 . . 



1 

2 
3 

I 
6 
5 

I 

7 
6 
8 
7 
9 




















1 
2 


















































1 


1 
2 


1 
3 



1905 
June 24.. 
June 26.. 
June 28.. 
July 1... 
July 3 . . . 
July 5 . . . 
July 6 . . . 
July 8... 
July 11 .. 
July 13 . 
July 17.. 
July 19 . . 
July 21 . . 
July 23 . . 



8 


1 


4 


7 




5 


9 




7 


9 




7 


9 




8 


9 




9 


9 


3 


9 


9 


3 


8 


10 


3 


10 


12 




12 


12 




12 


12 




12 


12 




12 


10 




10 



KETOVI. 



1905. 

May 5 

May 6 

May 10.... 
May 16.... 

May 23 

May 27.... 

June 5 

June 7 

June 9 

June 11 . . . 
June 14 . . . 
June 16 . . . 
June 19 . . . 



2 
2 
4 
12 
25 
24 
38 
40 
42 
44 
38 
42 
46 
































5 
3 

7 
4 
2 
10 

7 
4 


























1 
3 


1 
3 



1905, 
June 22 . 
June 24 . 
June 28 . 
July 1 . . . 
July 3 . . . 
Julys... 
July 11 .. 
July 13.. 
July 17 . . 
July 19.. 
July 21 . . 
July 23.. 



47 


2 


13 


46 


•7 


24 


56 


2 


31 


53 


3 


38 


52 


3 


46 


57 




51 


57 


2 


55 


57 


2 


54 


60 


1 


58 


60 





58 


57 




57 


67 


3 


56 



LAGOON. 



1905 
May 18. . . 
June 2 . . . 
I uue 9 . . . 



3 

18 
21 














1 











1905 
June 28 . 
July 9 . . . 
July 13 . . 



24 


2 


16 


26 


1 


23 


25 




23 



LUKANIN. 



1905. 
May 10 . . 
MaV 16 . . 
May 17 . . 
May 19 . . 
May 22 . . 
May 23 . . 
May 27 . . 
May 29 . . 
June 1... 
June 4 . . . 
June 6... 
June 7 . . . 
June 9 . . . 
June 11.. 
June 14 . . 
June 16 . . 



1 

5 
5 
9 
18 
18 
21 
26 
27 
38 
36 
33 
38 
38 
38 
40 






































4 
2 
4 


















1 
4 
2 
2 
4 
3 








1 
















1 




! 



1905 
June 19 . 
June 22 . 
June 24 . 
June 26 . 
June 28 . 
July 1 . . . 
July 3... 
July 5... 
July 6... 
Julys... 
July 11 . . 
July 13.. 
July 17.. 
July 19.. 
July 21 . . 
July 23.. 



44 


3 


5 


45 


2 


11 


44 


2 


21 


46 




19 


45 


2 


20 


46 


4 


26 


47 


2 


37 


47 


3 


39 


50 


4 


39 


47 


3 


40 


46 


1 


43 


45 


2 


43 


48 


•4 


48 


50 


1 


49 


45 


1 


44 


47 


4 


45 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



103 



Counts of rookeries, St. Paul Island, season of .Z905— Continued. 

VOSTOSHNI (WEST SIDE NORTHEAST POINT). 



Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


1905. 
June 12 


21 
28 
31 


6 
2 
3 






1905. 

July 10 

July 16 


32 
32 


2 


31 
32 


859 


June 29 

July 5 


18 
28 


126 
480 









NORTHEAST POINT. 



1905. 

Mays 

May 9 

1905. 
June 13... 

1905. 
June 13... 
July6 

1905. 
Jane 13... 
July6 

1905. 
May 1 . . . . 

Mav 2 

May 6 

Mav 11.... 
May 16.... 

19(J5. 
June 3 

1905. 

May 2 

May 18 

June 2 

1905. 

May 18 

June 2 

June 9 

June 28 ... , 



1 

2 





















1905. 
June 12 . . 
July 16... 



272 

378 



362 



POLAVINA. 



1905. 
July 16.. 



56 



POLAVINA CLIFF. 



24 


8 
2 






34 


30 


338 



1905. 
July 16... 



LITTLE POLAVINA. 



330 



1905. 
July 16... 



REEF. 



2 
2 
2 
19 
43 







































1905. 
May 25 . . . 
June 2 ... 
June 26 . . 
July 13... 



109 
173 
220 
275 



126 
261 



SEA LION ROCK. 



32 















1905. 
June 19 .. 



45 



TOLSTOI. 



1 

42 
76 



























1905. 
June 9 . . . 
July 14... 



102 
143 


2 




136 



TOLSTOI CLIFF. 



11 

35 

23 
32 














4 

1 






21 


149 



1905. 
July 9.... 
July 14 . . . 
July 24... 



34 


1 


34 


35 


3 


35 


33 


3 


33 



744 
'427 



104 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Counts of rookeries, St. Paul Island, season of 1906 — Continued. 

MORJOVI (EAST SIDE NORTHEAST POINT). 



Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


Date. 


Bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Harems. 


Cows. 


1905. 
June 12 


12 
18 
21 


6 
3' 






1905. 

JulvlO 

July 16 


21 
20 




19 


326 


June 29 

July 5 


8 
14 


32 
151 


i 20 













ZAPADNI. 



1905. 
June 9 



147 11 













1905. 
July 14... 



179 



LITTLE ZAPADNI. 



1905. 
June 9 



1905. 
July 14... 



ZAPADNI REEF. 



1905. 
June 9 

July? .... 



22 
30 


6 

2 






23 


325 



1905. 
July 14... 



32 



30 



GORBATCH. 



1905, 
April 27 . 
April 29 . 

May 1 

May 2 . . . 
May 6 . . . 
May 11 .. 
May 16 .. 
May 25 . . 



al 
1 

1 
1 
3 

10 
25 
52 












































7 











1905, 
June 2 .. 
June 7 .. 
June 10 . 
June 12 . 
June 15 . 
June 19 . 
June 25 . 
July 13.. 



96 
95 
103 
104 
114 
119 
121 
124 



6 
23 
239 



GORBATCH CLIFF. 



1906. 

May 16 

May 25 


3 
6 

8 
7 
7 

13 
12 
9 








1901. 

June 25 

June 28 

July 2 


9 
10 
10 

9 
10 
10 

9 


i' 

2 


2 
6 
8 
9 
10 
10 
8 


2 








13 


June 2 








71 


June 7 


1 

2 

1 






Julv 8 


180 


June 10 






July 11 

July 13 

July23 


196 


June 12 








June 15 






126 


June 19 





















a First bull seen on island. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



105 



Exhibit No. 6. 

Statistics of killings, St. Paul Island, 1905. 





Rookery. 


Animals 
killed. 


Dismissed. 


New brands. 


1904 brands. 


Total 
driven. 


Per 


Date. 


Large. 


Small. 


Two 

years. 


Three 
years. 


Three 
years. 


Four 
years. 


cent 
killed. 


1906. 
June 19 


Tolstoi . 


30 
367 
537 
422 
489 
534 
611 
975 
490 
564 
553 
511 
477 
760 
337 
477 
109 
523 
495 
553 
142 
555 

465 
221 
478 
192 


18 

69 

70 

80 

14 

48 

50 

25 

23 

29 

3 

7 

4 

5 

26 

19 

2 

17 

31 

19 

25 

26 

69 
3 
37 
16 


1 
24 
39 

71 
92 
61 
86 
313 
109 
122 
309 
318 
234 
427 
187 
243 
232 
417 
349 
324 
35 
406 

434 
185 
297 
233 








3 
15 


52 
501 
646 
823 
718 
691 
842 

1,392 
679 
785 
909 
903 
759 

1,272 
635 
820 
351 

1,046 
959 
989 
228 

1,064 

1,069 
440 

882 
468 


57 


21 








26 


73 


23 


Northeast Point 

Reef 






8a 


26 


148 
71 
20 
46 
45 
32 
35 
33 
44 
29 
48 
37 
38 
8 
53 
54 
59 
15 
53 

71 
21 
32 
13 


78 
36 
12 
34 
21 
17 
25 
7 

18 
10 
28 
35 
29 


10 
6 
3 

7 
7 
8 
4 
3 
4 
2 
2 
7 
6 


14 

10 

13 

8 

6 

e' 

1 

1 
3 
2 
6 

8 


51 


30 

July 1 

3 


Northeast Point 

Zapadni and Tolstoi . 
Reef 


68 
77 
72 


6 

7 


Northeast Point 

Zapadni 


70 

72 


8 


Reef 


71 


11 
13 


Northeast Point 

Reef 


60 
56 


14 




62 


16 
17 
19 


Northeast Point 

Reef and Gorbatch.. 
Zapadni 


59^ 
53 
58- 


21 


Northeast Point 

Reef and Gorbatch. . 
Zapadni 


31 


22 
24 


28 
22 
26 
5 
16 

19 

9 

26 

10 


5 
4 
6 
5 
6 

5 

8" 

3 


3 
4 
2 
1 
2 

6 

1 
4 
1 


5a 

51 


26 
27 


Northeast Point 

Tolstoi 


55 
62 


N 27 


Reef 


62 


28 


Zapadni and Little 
Zapadni 


43 


31 


Reef 


60 


31 
Aug. 10 


Northeast Point 

Reef (food) 


54 
41 


Total 






11, 867 


735 


5,548 


1,005 


511 


( 137 


120 


19,923 


59 









Exhibit No. 7. 
Census of St. Paul Island, June 30, 1905. 



Name. 



Bogadanoff, Nicoli 

Bogadanoff , TJleta 

Bogadanoff, Agrafina . . . 
Bourdukofsky, Apollon. 

Bourdukofsky, Peter 

Buterin, Karp 

Buterin, Parascovia 

Buterin, Constantine . . . 

Mazeekin, Wassilisa 

Fratis, John, jr 

Fratis, Sandulia 

Fratis, John, sr 

Fratis, Akalina 

Fratis, Agrafina 

Fratis, Simeon 

Fratis, Ouliana 

Fratis, Martha 

GalaktionefF, Alexander 
Galaktioneflf, Lukeria. . . 

Hanson, Anna 

Galaktioneff, Mary 

Galaktioneff , Matrona . . 

Gromoff , Nicoli 

Gromoff, Ouliana 

Stepetin, Pavla 



VolkofE, Teean 

Stepetin, Elary, jr 

Kochutin, Jacob 

Kochutin, Alexandra. . . 



Age, 
years . 



Relation. 



Husband 

Wife 

Niece 

Father 

Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Adopted 

Husband 

Wife 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

Son , 

Daughter 

do 

Husband 

Wife 

Stepdaughter 

Daughter 

do 

Husband 

Wife 

Adopted 
daughter. 

Orphan 

Adopted son.. 
Husband . . 
Wife 



43 



Kochutin Theodore 

Kochutin, Larion 

Mandregan, Innokenty. 
Mandregan, Nekeefer. . . 

KoshevnikoiY, Paul 

Koshevnikoff, Mary 

Kochutin, John 

Kochutin, Claudia 

Kochutin, Nikanor 

Kochutin, Erena 

Vickiloff, Alexander 

Kochutin, Trefan 

Kotchergin, George 

Kotchergin, Agafla 

Emanoff, Marv 

TetoflF, Peter 

Koxloff, Michael 

KoxlofY, Parascovia 

Koxloflf. Nicoli 

Serebrinikoff, Ripsemia. 

Krukoff, John 

Krukoff, Uleta 

Diakanoff, Andrew 

Krukoff, Nicoli 

Krukoff, Catherine 

Krukoff, Eustenia , 

Emanoff, Alexai 

Krukoff, Metrofan 

Krukoff, Pelagia , 

Philamonoff, Foecla 



Relation. 



34 



Son 

do .... 

Orphan . . . 

do.... 

Husband . 

Wife 

Husband . 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter. 
Stepson... 
Widower . 
Husband . 

Wife 

Cousin . . . 
Godchild . 

Son 

Mother . . . 
Brother . . 
Cousin . . . 
Husband . 

Wife 1... 

Stepson i 11 

Husband I 54 

Wife i... 

Daughter. 
Nephew . . 
Husband . 

Wife 

Orphan... 



Age, 
years. 



.! 17 



25 



106 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Census of St. Paul Island, June HO, 1905 — Continued. 



Kushin, Michael 

Kushin, Matrona 

Kushin, Nestor 

Hanson. John 

Hopoff. Xekiter 

Kushin. Mary 

]Nk'liivi<]iitT, Alexander. 

MeloviiioiY, Salome 

Mt'lcividdtr. Antone 

Melovidutl', Alexandra. 

Melovidoff, Alfai 

Melovidoff, Alexander, 
jr. 

Nozekoff, Simeon 

Nozekoff, Avdotia 

Nozekoff, Mary 

Kozeroff, Ivanally 

Kozeroff, Alexandra... 

Melovidoff, Simeon 

Melovidoff, Alexandra. 

Melovidofl, Margaret .. 

Melovidoff, Christopher. 

Melovidoff, Alexander 

Melovidoff, Simeon, jr 

Melovidoff, Alexandra 

Merculieft', Alexander 

Merculieff, Agafia 

Merculieft", Paul 

Merculieff, Auxenia 

Merculieff, Terrenty 

Merculieff, Paul 

Merculieff, Dosefai 

Pankoff, Parfiri 

Pankoff, Vlass 

Pankoff, Martha 

Rookavislniikdtt', Stepan 

Pvookavishuikoff, Eliza- 
beth. 

Sedick, Theodore 

Sedick, Innokenty 

Sedick, Mary 

Sedick, John 

Shabolin, Nekon 

Shabolin, Foecla 

Shabolin, Agranna 

Shabolin, Varvara 

Shabolin , Matrona 

Shabolin, Daniel 



Relation. 



Husband . 

Wife 

Nephew . . 

do.... 

Bachelor . 
Widow . . . 
Husband . 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter. 

Son 

do.... 



Father. . . 

Son 

Daughter. 

Son 

Husband . 

Wife 

Daughter. 

do.... 

do.... 

Son 



Age, 
years. 



Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

Half-brother 
Half-sister... 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

Son 

....do , 

....do 

Niece , 

Husband 

Wife 

Son 

Daughter. . . 

Son 

Brother 

Son of Alex .. 

Father 

Son 

Daughter . 
Husband . . 
Wife 



29 



38 



18 



Name. 



Shabolin, Marfa Daughter. 

Stepetin, Dorofav Husband . 

Stepet in , Luboff ". Wife 

Stepetin, Chionia Daughter. 

Stepetin, Auxenia do 

Stepetin, Helena do 

Stepetin, Klary Husband . 

Stepetin, Anna Wife 

Stepetin, .\gnes Daughter. 

Stepetin, Nicoli Son 

Stepetin, John Husband . 

Stepetin, Vera Wife 

Stepetin. Vassali Son 

Stepetin, Larion do 

Stepetin, Vassali Nephew .. 

Shisenikoft', George Husband . 

Shisenikoff, Ouliana I Wife 

Tetort", Neon ' Husband . 

Tetoff, Agrafiua ! Wife 

Tetoff, Simeon ! Son 

Tetoff, Marv ' Daughter. 

Tetoff, Dimitri i Son 

Tetoff, Erena Daughter. 

Tetoff. Agrafina ' do 

Tetoff, John 

Tetoff, Peter 

Tetoff. Mary 

Kochutin, Varvara 



Relation. 



47 



Tetoff, Zahar 

Tetoff, Daria 

Tetoff, Paul 

Orloff, Rev. J. E 

Orloff, Olga 

Orloff, Nndia 

Orlolf. Xicoli 

OrlofT. Alexandra 

Nedarazort', Catherine 

Merculieff. John 

Merculieff, Avdotia... 
Merculieft". Seretima . . 

Krukoft". Condrat I Son 

Krukoft", Feotesta : Mother 1... 

Mazeekin. John i Bachelor j 16 

Seduli. Elizabeth Widow 

Stepetin, Marena .. 



Son 

Husband 

Wife 

Adopted 
daughter. 

Husband 

Wife , 

Son 

Father 

Daughter 

do 

Son 

Daughter 

Widow 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 



Age, 
years. 



34 



26 



19 



15 



Daughter of ... 
John Step. 



WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. 



Kochutin, Zenobia 

Kochutin, Innokenty.. 
Kochutin, Mark 



Mother ( . . . 

Son 2 

Nephew (son 10 
of John). 

Krukoff, Anna i Widow 

Krukoff, Mary i Daughter 

Emanoff, Mary Widow i . . . 

Emanoff, Eneka ! Son I 4 

Emanoff, Peter ; do 2 



Peeshnikoff, W^assalisa.. Widow 

Artomonoff, Alexandra.] do , 

Vickiloff, Alexandra 



Balakshin, ISIatrona ... 
Rookavishnikoff, Paras- 

covia. 
Shopishnikoft". Parasco- 

via. 



Ad opted 
daughter. 

Widow 

Niece 



Spinster . 



RESIDING ELSEWHERE. 



Krukoff, Lukeria. . . 
Mandregan, Mary. . 
Melovidoff, Marcia. 
Sedick, Avdotia 



Zaharoff, Fedosia . . 
Popoff, Alexandria 
Tetoff, Sophia 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHEEIES. 107 

Census of St. Paul Island, June 30, 1905 — Continued. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Number of males 82 

Number of females 82 

Total number of residents 164 

Deaths during year 7 

Departures 2 

Births during- year 8 

Arrivals 4 



Exhibit No. 8. 

Division of natives' earnings, St. Paul Island, Alaska, season of 1905. 

By 13,000 fur-seal skins, at 50 cents $6, 500. 00 

By 8 sea-lion skins, at |2 16. 00 

Total 6,516.00 

To 21 first-class shares, at $197.95 4, 156. 95 

To 6 second-class shares, at $158.40 950. 40 

To 5 third-class shares, at 1118.80 , 594. 00 

To 5 fourth-class shares, at $79.20 396. 00 

To 4 fifth-class shares, at $49.50 198. 00 

To 6 special-class shares 220. 65 

Total 6, 516. 00 

First-class shares. — Twenty-one men, at $197.95, as follows: N. Bogadanoff, Karp 
Buterin, Jacob Kochutin, Nicoli Krukoff, S. Melovidoff, S. Nozekoff, Theo. Sedick, 
D. Stepetin, John Stepetin, Peter Tetoff, A. Bourdukofsky, George Kotchergin, John 
Kochutin, Alex. Merculieff, P. Pankoff, N. Shabolin, E. Stepetin, Neon Tetoff, J. E. 
Orloff, John Krukoff, George Shisenikoff. 

Second-class sJiares. — Six men, at $158.40, as follows: P. Bourdukofsky, Alex. 
Melovidoff, Zahar Tetoff, John Fratis, jr., Innokenty Sedick, Metrofan Krukoff. 

Third-class shares. — ^Five men, at $118.80, as follows: Nicoli Gromoff, Michael 
Kushin, Trefan Kochutin, S. Rookavishnikoff, John Merculieff. 

Fourth-class shares. — Five men, at $79.20, as follows: John Fratis, sr., Michael 
Kozloff, P. Koshevnikoff, Alex. Galaktioneff, Constantine Buterin. 

Fifth-class shares. — Four men, at $49.50, as follows: Nicoli Kozloff, Ivanally Kozeroff, 
Vlass Pankoff, Fedor Kochutin. 

Spedal-class shares.— Condrnt Krukoff, $30.15; Paul Merculieff, $30.15; Nicoli Kru- 
koff (first chief), $50; Nekiter Hopoff, $30.15; John Mazeekin, $30.20; Jacob Kochu- 
tin (second chief), $50. 

St. Paul Island, Alaska, August 10, 1905. 
I hereby certify that the above division was made by me, in the manner detailed 
above, after conference with the representative of the North American Commercial 
Company, and the native chiefs on this island. 

W. I. Lembkey, 
Agent, in. Charge Seal Fisheries. 



St. Paul Island, Alaska, August 10, 1905. 
I hereby certify that the amounts as above stated representing the division on St. 
Paul Island, for the season of 1905, will be placed to the credit of the respective 
natives on the books of the North American Commercial Company. 

J. C. Redpath, 
Agent North American Cummercial Company. 



108 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



St. Paul Island, Alaska, August 10, 1905. 
We hereby approve the division for St. Paul Island, for the season of 1905, as de- 
tailed above, for and on behalf of the natives of this island. 

NicoLi Krukoff, 

First Chief. 
Jacob Kochutin, 

Second Chief. 



Exhibit No. 9. 
Letter requesting statistics. 

1764 Willard Street, 
Washington, D. C.,- October 13, 1905. 
Sir: In compliance with instructions to me dated INIay 1 last from the Secretary of 
Commerce and Labor, I have to request that I be furnished with information show- 
ing the cost to your company of complying with the provisions of its contract in con- 
nection with the following items: Maintenance of dwellings for natives on Seal Island; 
maintenance of schools for natives on Seal Island; maintenance of house of worship 
on Seal Island; medical attendance for natives on Seal Island; support of widows, 
orphans, aged, and infirm on Seal Island. 

This information is desired for use in my annual report, which I hope to submit in 
the near future. 

Respectfully, W. I. Lembkey, 

Agent in Charge Seal Island. 
Mr. H. H. Taylor, 

President North American Commercial Company, 

San Francisco, Cal. 



Exhibit No. 10. 

Annual statement of fur seals killed on St. George Island, Alaska, during the year ended 

July 31, 1905. 



Date. 



1904. 

Aug. 3 

Oct. 19 

22 

24 

3 

4 



Nov. 



9 
14 
15 

• 18 
22 
23 

1905. 

June 3 

10 

20 

23 

26 

28 

July 1 

5 

6 

8 

11 



Rookery. 



Found dead near East Landing. 

North and Staraya Artel — 

Zapadni 

East. 



North and Staraya Artel . 

East 

Zapadni 

North and Staraya Artel . 

East 

North and Staraya Artel . 

Zapadni 

North 

Staraiya Arte 1 



Zapadni 

East and Staraya Artel 

East and North 

East, North, and Staraya Artel. 

Zapadni 

Staraya Artel and North 

do 

Staraya Artel, North, and East.. 

Zapadni 

Staraya Artel, North, and East. . 
do 



Large 

young 

seals 

killed for 

natives' 

food 

(skins 

accepted 

by 
lessees) . 



Prime 

seals 

killed by 

lessees 

for skins. 



2 
63 
64 

3 

27 
28 
.57 
211 
56 
60 
37 



Total 
number 
of seals 
killed 
and skins 
accepted. 



1 

59 

11 

30 

53 

25 

6 

6 

1 

14 

2 

18 

10 



2 
6» 
64 

3 
27 
28 
57 
211 
56 
60 
37 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



109 



Annual statement of fur seals killed on St. George Island, Alaska, during the year ended 

July 31, 1905 — Continued. 



Date. 



1905. 

July 15 

17 

19 

22 



Rookery. 



Staraya Artel and East. 

Zapadni 

East and Staraya Artel. 
do 



24 1 Zapadni. 

26 ^ 

28 

29 

31 



Staraya Artel and East 
Zapadni 

Staraya Artel and East 

Do ...: 



Total. 



Large 

young 

.seals 

killed for 

natives' 

food 

(skins 

accepted 

by 



Prime 

seals 

killed by 

lessees 

for skins. 



236 



Total 

number 

of seals 

kUled 

and skins 

accepted. 



80 


180 


45 


45 


73 


73 


80 


80 


20 


20 


60 


60 


14 


14 


22 


22 


30 


30 



1,368 



H. D. Chichester, 
Assistant Agent in Charge of St. George Island. 



Exhibit No. 11. 
Weights of sealskins taken on St. George Island during season ended July 31, 1905. 



Weight. 


Skins. 


Weight. 


Skins. 


Weight. 


Skins. 


Weight. 


Skins. 


Poimds. 
4i 
5 
5i 
5i 
5» 
6 


2 
31 
30 
200 
160 
225 


Pounds. 
6i 
61 
6» 

7 

n 


105 
151 
108 
129 
61 
62 


Pounds. 

n 

8i 
8^ 
Si 
9 


32 

30 

14 

8 

9 

3 


Pounds. 
9i 
9i 
9* 
10 

Total. 


3 
3 

1 


1,367 



The skin found near East Landing last August was not weighed. 



{ 



Exhibit No. 12. 

Counts of rookeries, St. George Island, season of 1905. 
EAST REEF ROOKERY. 



Date. 


Ha- 
rems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 
with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 
ery. 


Date. 


Ha- 
rems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 
with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 
ery. 


1905. 
Mav 20 






4 
10 
13 






1905. 
June 21 . . 
June 23.. 
June 26 . . 
June 28 . . 
Julv4.... 
July 8.... 
July 13... 
July 14... 


5 
5 

13' 
12 
15 
16 
16 
17 


8 

9 

47 

55 

244 

344 

396 

453 


10 
9 
2 
3 
1 
1 


1 




May 26 










2 












2 
1 
1 






















is 

14 
14 
14 
12 




. .. 




June 10 










































June 19... 


2 


2 


1 











JI/oxjmMm.— Harems, 17; cows, 453; idle bulls, 0; bulls on rookery, 17. 



110 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



Counts of rookerlex, *SY. Geon/e Island, season of J 906 —Continued. 

STARAYA ARTEL ROOKKRY. 



Date. 


Ha- 
rems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 1 
with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 1 
ery. | 


Date. 


Ha- 
rems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 
with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 
ery. 


1905. 
May 7 






1 
2 
3 
5 






1905. 
June 1 






28 
29 
24 
28 
23 
4 






May 9 










June 2 ... 






3' 

6 


4 


Mav 12 . . . 










June 10 i 




1 


May 14 . . . 










June 14 . . 2 
June 21 . . 6 
July 14.. 29 


2 

6 

1, 305 


5 


May 16 . . . 






4 
11 
14 


1 






May 20 . . . 








Mav 26 . . . 






















1 









Maximum. — Harems, 29; cows, 1,305 (estimated); idle bulls, 4; bulls on rookery, 33. 
Note. — For the same reasons that exist at Zapadni this rookery can not be counted. The estimate 
here given is based on the count of a number of harems, giving an average of 45 cows per harem. 

EAST ROOKERY. 



1905. 
May 2 






1 
2 
3 
3 

4 

5 

5 

7 

7 

11 

25 

39 

35 






1905. 
June 9 . ... 
June 10|. . 
June 13.. 
June 16.. 
June 19.. 
June 21 . . 
June 23 . . 
June 28.. 
July 4 . „ 
Julys... 
July 13.. 
July 14.. 

i 


1 

1 

2 

6 

13 

19 

20 

36 

47 

47 

47 

47 


1 

1 

2 

8 

30 

78 

148 

615 

1,048 

1,502 

1,345 

1,743 


38 
39 
42 
37 
31 
, 27 
• 26 
14 
3 
5 
4 
7 


3 

i' 


7 


May 3 










7 


Mav 4 










7 


Mav 5 . . . . 











8 


May 7 






i 




5 


Mav 9 








May 12 . . 











2 


8 


May 14 . . . 






1 




8 


May 16 . . . 








Mav 20 . . 















May 26 . . . 





























June 3 ... 






3 

















Maximum. — Harems, 47; cows, 1,743; idle bulls, 7; bulls on rookery, 54. 

ZAPADx\I ROOKERY. 



1905. 
May 2 . . 
May 14. 
Junel.. 
June 11. 



1905. 
June 21. 
June 26 . 
July 17.. 



37 

206 

1,845 



38 1 2 

28 I 

3 1 



Maximum. — Harems, 45; cows, 1,845 (estimated); idle bulls, 3: bulls on rookery, 48. 

Note. — By reason of the massing of the seals and the impossibility of obtaining a view of the entire 
rookery for any length of time only the number of harems and idle bulls could be counted. An esti- 
mate vvas therefore made of the number of cows. The estimate is based on the count of a number of 
harems giving an average of 41 cows per harem. 



LITTLE EAST ROOKERY. 



1905. 






1 
1 

3 
3 
3 

6 
7 
14 
14 
14 
14 
15 




1 


1905. 
June 13.. 






15 
16 
16 
14 
13 
5 
4 






May 9 










June 16.. 










Mav 11... 










June 19 . . 










May 12 . . . 










June 21 . . 
June 23 . . 
June 26.. 
June 28 . . 
Julv4.... 
Julys.... 
July 13... 
July 14... 


2 
3 
11 
12 
16 
14 
16 
16 


2 

6 

33 

39 

152 

202 

182 

298 






Mav 14 















May 16... 














May 20 . . . 














May 26 . . . 
























2 






June 3 . . 






























June 10 . . 





























Maximum. — Harems, 16; cows, 298; idle bulls, 0: bulls on rookery, 16. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES, 111 

Counts of rookeries, St. George Island, season of 1905 — Continued. 

NORTH ROOKERY. 



Date. 


Ha- 

rems. 


Cows, 


• 

Idle 

bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 
with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 
ery. 


Date. 


Ha- 
rems. 


Cows. 


Idle 
bulls. 


Quit- 
ters. 


Bulls 

with 
bache- 
lors or 
beyond 
rook- 
ery. 


1905. 
Mav 2 






1 

1 

1 

2 

5 

7 

14 

19 

18 

36 

57 

60 

73 

79 

90 






1905. 
June 10 . . 
June 12.. 
June 14.. 
June 17 . . 
June 21.. 
June 22.. 
June 24.. 
June 28.. 
June 29.. 
July 2 ... 
July 6 ... 
July 9 ... 
July 12 . . 
July 14 . . 


1 

1 
5 
9 
22 
32 
43 
66 
71 
86 
98 
103 
104 
104 


1 

1 

5 

10 

40 

85 

169 

531 

718 

1,422 

2, 121 

2, 710 

2,961 

2,687 


88 

101 

89 

89 

76 

65 

59 

36 

37 

18 

12 

8 

8 

8 


3 

2 
3 




2 


May 3 










2 


Ma\- 4 










4 


May 5 










4 


May 7 






9 


May 9 












Mav 12 . . . 










i 


3 


May 14 . . . 












May 16 . . . 






2 
1 

2 






May 20 . . . 






3 
2 

2 
2 




Mav 26... 








June 1 








June 2 






6 
3 
3 


i' 




June 5 


1 
1 


1 
1 




June 7 . . . 







Maximum. — Harems, 104; cows, 2,961; idle bulls, 8; quitters, 2; bulls on rookery, 112. 



Exhibit No. 13. 
Seals released from drives, St. George Island, season of 1905. 



Date. 


Rookery. 


be 

03 


CO 


Oh 


"3 
1 


m 

it 
a 


s 

9 

i 
10 


to 


"3 


1904. 
Oct. 19 


North and Starava Artel 


6 
6 






197 

1 

10 


a6 
a 19 
a 13 

a5 

9 
12 
20 








24 


East 


3 










Nov. 3 


North and Staraya Artel 








4 


East 














1905. 
June 10 


East and Staraya Artel 






1 
1 


20 


1 

6 
4 
4 






20 






9 
1 
6 
2 


3 

5 
6 

7 


6 


23 


East, North, and Staraya Artel 

Zapadnie 


66 


2 


26 








28 
July 1 


East, North, and Staraya Artel 

North and Starava Artel 


92 
50 
125 
14 
35 
20 
68 
33 
88 
75 
26 
57 
11 
13 
25 


1 


26' 

156 

40 

99 
117 
325 

71 
218 
314 

92 
181 

25 
100 

85 


5 


1 


5 
6 


East, North, and Staraya Artel 

Zapadnie 


7 

1 

...... 

7 
3 
6 
6 
1 
6 
4 


2 
...... 

...... 

1 
3 

1 
1 


1 

7 
3 

""'5' 
3 
5 
4 
3 
4 
1 
4 


1 


1 


1 


8 


North and Staraya Artel 








11 


do 


1 






15 


East and Staraya Artel 


5 




17 


Zapadnie 


1 


19 


East and Starava Artel 


1 






22 


do ■ 




3 


24 


Zapadnie 


2 






26 


East and Staraya Artel 






28 


Zapadnie 








29 


East and Staraya Artel 








31 


do 


1 




1 








Total 








810 


64 


16 


2,077 


129 


21 


27 


14 









a Large. 



112 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



P]XHIBIT No. 14. 

Young male seals marked and released on St. George Island, season of 1905. 



Date. 



1905. 

June 20 

23 

26 

28 

July 1 

5 

11 



Rookery. 



East and North 

Ea.st, North, and Staraya Artel. 

Zapadni ." 

East, North, and Staraya Artel. 

North and Staraya Artel 

East, North, and Staraya Artel. 
do 



2-year- 3-year- 
olds, olds. 



Total , 



200 



4-year- 
olds. 



8 
30 
7 
8 
5 
10 
1 



69 



These seals were all marked by clipping off the fur on the top of their heads with a pair of sheep 
shears. In addition to this a half-round button was punched out of the outside finger of the left hind 
flipper, marking them permanently. 



Exhibit No. 15. 
Count of live pups, St. George Island, season of 1905. 



Date. 


Rookery. 


Live 
pups. 


Dead 
pups. 


Dead 
cows. 


July 29 
31 


Zapadni .' 


2,742 
4,047 
2, 148 
2,700 
650 
412 


45 

142 

14 

46 

3 

3 


3 


North 


2 


31 


Staraya Artel 


1 


31 


East . .. 




31 


East Reef 




31 


Little East 






Total 






12, 699 


253 


6 









Exhibit No. 16. 

Seal division, St. George Island, season of 1905. 

By 1,368 sealskins, at 50 cents 1684. 00 

To 14 first-class men, at $27.15 380.10 

To 4 second-class men, at $21.80 87.40 

To 5 third-class men, at $16.30 81. 50 

To 2 special class men (first chief, $40; second chief, $35) 75. 00 

To material for native club 60. 00 

684. 00 

First class. — Fourteen men at $27.15 each, as follows: Corneil Gorokof, Stephan 
Lekanof, Demetri Lestenkof, Michael Lestenkof, Nicolai Malavansky, George 
Merculif, Joseph Merculif, Nicolai Merculif, Andronic Philamonof, Gregory 
Philamonof, Simeon Philamonof, Peter Prokopief, Manuel Zaharof, Rev. Peter Kash- 
evarof. 

Second class. — Four men at $21.80 each, as follows: John Galanin, Nicolai Neda- 
xazof, Michael Shane, Gregory Swetzof. 

Third class. — Five men at $16.30 each, as follows: Alexander Galanin, Walter 
Kashavarof, Peter Malavansky, Marka Merculif, Demetri Philamonof. 

Special class. — Stephan Lekanof, chief, $40.00; Joseph Merculif, second chief, $35. 

The division as made above is hereby approved on behalf of the natives of this 
island. Stephan Lekanof, 

First Chief. 
Joseph Merculif, 

Second Chief. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 



113 



I certify that the amounts indicated herein have been placed to the credit of the 
respective natives on the books of the North American Commercial Company. 

The North American Commercial Co., 
By Dr. L. A. Noyes, Agent. 



I certify that the above division was made by me after conference with the native 
chiefs. 

H. D. Chichester, 
Agent, U. S. Department of Commerce and Labor. 



Exhibit No. 17. 
Census of St. 'George Island, June SO, 1905. 



No. of 


No. of 


family. 


person 


1 


) I 


2 


\ \ 


3 


{ \ 


4 


8 




9 




10 




11 




12 


5 


13 




14 




15 




16 




f 17 




18 


6 


19 


20 




21 




22 




f 23 


7 


24 


25 




26 


8 


27 

\ 28 




29 


9 


30 
31 




32 




33 




34 


10 


35 
36 




37 




38 




39 


11 


40i 
41 




42 


12 


43 




r 44 


13 


' 45 




46 


14 1 


i 47 
1 48 




49 


15 \ 


50 




51 




52 




53 




54 


16 ] 


55 




56 




57 




58 



Name of individual 




Galanin, Alexander. 
Galanin, Akalina 

Galanin, John 

Gallain, Anna 

Galanin, Fevroniai 

Swetzof, Paul" 

Gorokof, Cornell 
Oustegof, Alexandra f'. 
Oiistegof, Stepanida'' 
Lekanof, Stepan 
Lekanof, Pelagia. 
Lekanof, Anatoli. 
Lekanof, Sergins. 

Lekanof, Sara 

Lekanof, Marina. 
Lekanof, George 
Lestenkof, Demetri 
Lestenkof, Ale.xandra. 
Lestenkof, Elizabeth. 
Lestenkof, Constantine 
Merciilif, Marka 

Diakanof. Katie 

Lestenkof, Michael 
Lestenkof, Oulita 
Lestenkof, Innokenty. 
Lestenkof, Anna 
Malavansky, Nicolai. 
Malavansky, Fedosia 
Malavansky. Peter. 
Malavansky, Ripsemia. 
Malavansky, \Vassi«. 
Malavansky, Christopher . 

Mereulif, George ! Husband. 

Mereulif, Stepanida Wife. 

Mereulif, Peter Son . 

Mereulif, Sophia i Daughter. 

Mereulif, George, jr ] Son 

Mereulif, Martha h ; Sister 

Mereulif, Joseph I Husband . 

Mereulif, Marvara \ Wife 

Mereulif, John« , Brother .. 

Mereuli f . Helena Sister 

Mereulif, Natalia" i Widow ... 

Mereulif, Nieolai j Husband . 

Mereulif, Matrona Wife 

Mereulif, Lavrenty Son 

Mert-ulif, Wassalis" Widow . . . 

Mereulif, .^.lexandra ! Daughter. 

Niderezof , Nicolai I Bachelor . 

Niderezof, Efghenia j Mother . . . 

Niderezof, Isidor ; Brother . . 

Philimonof, Andronic Husband . 



Philimonof. Zenobia 

Philimonof, Marina 

Philimonof, Leonti 

Philimonof, Alexandra .. 
Philimonof, .-Vudronic, jr. 
Philimonof Eoff 



Wife 

Daughter. 

Son 

Daughter. 

Son 

do.... 



" Supported by North American Commercial Co. 

f- Clothing supplied by North American Commercial Co. 



Nov. 15,1873 
Dec. 21,1878 
July 10,1899 
Sept. 29, 1901 
Apr. 29,1903 
July 8, 1893 
Mar. 17,1872 
May 14,1879 
Jan. 18,1890 
Mav 27,1884 
Sept. 9,1880 
Mav 19,1880 
Jan. 2,1883 
Sept. 8,1902 
Jan. 20,1851 
Apr. 22,1878 
Dec. 18,1877 
Jan. 5, 1854 
Feb. 15,1891 
Oct. 24,1867 
Nov. 12,1866 
May 12,1890 
Mav 6, 1894 
Apr. 25,1896 
Oct. 18,1898 
June 8,1902 



S. Doe. 98—05 8 



114 



23 




ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 

0'».s'»s <;/■ ,SV. George hhuid, June 30, 750.5— ContiiiiU'il. 



Name of individual. 



Family relation. 



I'hilnmonof, Gregory . . . 
riiilaiiiDiu)!". Miilaniii... 
I'liilainmior. Doinetri... 

I'hiliuiioiKil, Piuil 

I'liiliiiiioiiof, Simeon 

I'hilumonof, Evailctia .. 

I'liilainnnof, Zoya 

I'liilainonof, .losepli 

I'liilamaiioi". Ifjnati 

l'lulaiiuinol",.lnlia 

I'liilamonof, Helena 

I'rokopief, Peter 

I^rokoijief, Stepaiiida. . . 

I'rokopief, Martlia 

I'rokopief, Marina 

I'rokopief, Alexander . . 
I'rokopief, Lanrenty ... 

Shane, Miehael 

Shane, Raiesse 

Mereulif, Stepan 

Oustegof, Anfessia " 

Swetzof, Gregory 

Swetzof, Zoe 

Zaeharof, Emanuel — 

Zaeharof, Mary 

Zaeharof, Daria 



Husband . 

Wife 

Brother... 
Nephew . . 
Iliishand. 

Wife 

Danghter. 

Son 

do.... 



PRIE.ST'S FAMILY. 



Kashavarof, Rev. Peter . 

Kashavarof , Anna 

Kashavarof, Walter 

I'avlof, Katrina 

Kiazanzof, Seretiua" 

Malavansky, Cleopatrah. 



Daughter 

do 

Husband 

Wife 

Daughter 

do 

Son 

do 

Bachelor 

Mother 

('ousin 

Foster daughter.. 

Husband 

Wife 

Husband 

Wife 

Danghter 



Hu.sband 

Wife 

Son 

Niece 

Orphan 

Danghter of Rip- 



Age. 



De'it* of birth. 



Oct. 

Jan. 

Mav 

.Inly 

Aug. 

Feb. 

Nov. 

Feb. 

Dee. 

Mar, 

Apr. 

May 

Nov. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

May 

Aug. 

Oct. 

1852. 

Sept. 

Apr. 

Nov. 



12, 1872 

12,1874 

25, 18S(i 

ll,18y() 

:5, ls.->o 

2.S, 1H71 

12, IWJ 

■1, 1S91 

29, 1899 

12,1902 

10,1904 

29, 18i;4 

18,-]87(; 

8, 1.S9G 

o, 1898 

1,1902 

20, 1903 

13, 1887 

27, 1890 
21,1895 
29, 1885 



.Julv 1,1880 
Apr. 1,1874 
Ai>r. 2,1902 



Mar. 3, 1857 
Jan. 17,1865 
Julv 2,1887 
Dec. 2, 1893 
Julv 1,1887 
Oct". 31,1882 



Clothing supplied by North American Commercial Co. 
;> Residing in San Francisco in family of Mr.s. Cox. 



RECAPITULATION. 

Number of native inhabitants last census 95 

Increase by arrival from St. Paul '. 1 

Decrease h'y death ^ 

Decrease by removal to St. Paul 2 

Actual nuniber of resident natives 89 

SUMMARY. 

Number of native families 23 

Number of native individtials 89 

Number of native males 44 

Nuniber of native females 40 

Number of native males of 16 years old or over .., 23 

Numljcr of native males between 6 and 16 years 14 

Number of native males inider G years " 

Number of native females Ui years old or over 28 

Number of native females between C and 16 years 13 

Number of native females under 6 years 4 

Number of native males of school age '. H 

Number of native females of school age 13 

Number of faiivilies wliolly s\ipported by North .\merican Commercial Co 3 

Nmnber of individuals wliolly supported by North American ("ommercial Co 9 

Number of individuals clothed by North American Commercial Co 5 

Gorerment (uioits <iiid company emploiiees. — H. I). Chichester, a.ssistant agent in charge: Ezra W. 
Clark, assistant agent: Mrs. Ezra W. Clark: Dr. L. A. Noyes, phy.sician and company agent; J. A. 
Lake, clerk: Gee Ho, Chinese cook. 



ALASKAN SEAL FISHERIES. 115 

Exhibit No. 18. 

North American Commercial Company, 

St. George Island, Alaska, Augusts, 1905. 
Sir: In reply to your letter of August 1 requesting a statement of the amount 
expended by the North American Commercial Company on this island during the 
year ending June 30, 1905, for the maintenance of native dwellings, school for natives, 
house of worship, support of widows and orphans, aged and infirm, and medical 
attendance, I would resjiectfully submit the following, which is approximately correct: 

For maintenance of native dwellings $36. 63 

School for natives 1, 708. 51 

House of worship No expense. 

Medical attendance 2, 038. 68 

Support of widows and orphans, aged and infirm 1, 624. 47 

Respectfully, 

Dr. L. a. Noyes, 
Agent, North American Commercial Company, 

St. George Island, Alaska. 
H. D. Chichester, 

Assistant Agent, Seal Fisheries in Alaska. 

o 



LBAp'07 



